The World Changes
by Terciel1249
Summary: King Sombra has risen from the ashes, unleashing a surprise attack on the Crystal Empire. The attack leaves a weeping Cadance to hold together the shattered remains without the aid of her husband. Forces outside her control will resurrect Shining Armor, but he will not be the same pony Cadance remembers. His name is Setsuna F. Seie, human, Gundam. (A Gundam 00 and MLP story)
1. Chapter 1

The World Changes

Ch. 1: Setsuna F. Seie

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to either MLP or Gundam 00.

_Death is a natural part of life. Without death, life could not exist. If life did exist without death, life would become meaningless. The people we love will continue to grow older and older without release. They would be trapped in a rotting corpse, never allowed to leave. This is the essential part of death, to release us from the pain of life. _

Cadance felt her skin crawl, Celestia's solemn words echoing in her mind. The Princess of Love sat silently in the hospital wing of the Crystal Palace. The room was cold. Cadance shivered in the pale atmosphere, the dying light of the sun reflecting off the blue walls and crystal tile. Two rows of hard beds lined each side of the long room. The cold air, unmoving and still echoed the sorrow Cadance felt inside her heart.

Cadance sat silently next to the only occupied bed. The sound of the heart monitor sang loudly, accompanied by a choir of mechanical hums and hisses creating a sickening orchestra of mechanical sounds. Heart monitor, air pump, blood filter and a number of other devices gave the impression that the patient was still alive. But it was a false reality. The still form under a pile of light green blankets showed no response to the world around him, or the hoof wrapped around his remaining limb. Dozens of wires were sticking out of the white unicorn's body. Cadance questioned whether he was more machine than pony.

The pale skin of the stallion looked sickly in the dull light. Cadance could barely look into the face of her husband, her eyes glazed as she stared unblinkingly at his slowly rising and falling chest. Cadance clung to Shining Armor's left hoof. His right side was almost completely destroyed. The skin was burned completely from his muscles and bones. White wrappings hung tight around his torso and stomach. The useless stumps of his legs lay uselessly to his side. From Shining's chest several long tubs ran in and out of his body.

Cadance eyes slowly moved to his face. Shining Armor's lift side was left untouched. The right side is what caught her attention. His flesh was stripped to the bone. Shining Armor's ear and eye were missing, torn off by the blast that was meant for her.

Cadance held Shining's hoof closer to her chest. King Sombra's return had caught them all by surprise. The mad king rampaged through the Crystal Empire in his shadow form. The dark magic of Sombra sent a dark wildfire through the streets, destroying the homes of the crystal ponies. Shining Armor and Cadance both were able to push back the dark energy that sought to consume everything in its path. All of their subjects took sanctuary inside the Crystal Palace behind their Prince and Princes, fear gripping their hearts. Many were injured. Thankfully no lives were lost.

Shining Armor, Cadance and the members of the Crystal guard pushed into the city. Shining Armor and Cadance continued to push back the black fire in search of the mad king. From the shadows, a blast of pure darkness fired at Cadance. Sombra sought to strike down the symbol of the Crystal Empire. With Cadance's death he'd break the crystal ponies again and remove their only means of fighting him, the Crystal Heart.

Cadance felt herself being flung away through the air, a pair of hooves shoving her to the side. When she looked back, Cadance felt her heart break in two as Shining Armor was engulfed by black magic.

Cadance's grip tightened around her husband's foreleg. She cried at first, screaming for the doctors from Equestria to save Shining Armor. But there was only so much modern medicine could do. The doctor's Celestia sent could only put Shining Armor on life support with no real hope of him waking up. There was too much damage to Shining's body and brain.

_I never wanted this,_ Cadance thought to herself. She never wanted to be in charge of the Crystal Empire, to be the immortal princess of these harsh Northern lands. Her subjects were so far behind when it came to the modern standard. Medicine, magic, trade and even culture were heavily outdated. The only competent doctors in the entire empire were an old warhorse that actually tried to schedule a bloodletting and an exorcist.

Cadance could deal with the stress of bringing the crystal ponies into the modern world. She could deal with the constant demands from her bloodthirsty subjects to demonstrate the Crystal Empire's might by destroying the opposing nation in a jousting tournament that made the fight at her wedding look like a water balloon contest. Or the dwindling population as more of the crystal ponies left to explore this new world. Cadance could deal with all these things as long as she had her greatest supporter, her husband.

Much like the coming night, any hope of Shining Armor waking up began to fade to black. Shining Armor never reacted when she visited. When she held his hoof or when she wept into his chest.

Celestia had done her best to support Cadance through the pain; sending three platoons of her own personal guard to improve the security of the Crystal Empire, continuing to provide financial backing until the Empire's economy became stable and giving Cadance every second of time she could spare. Celestia even cancelled the meeting with the dragon King's representative just to spend an evening with Cadance.

Kind words and more soldiers could not replace the emptiness in Cadance's chest. Nothing could replace the hole Shining Armor left inside her heart.

Cadance gently placed the white hoof to Shining Armor's side. Placing a single kiss on his undamaged cheek, Cadance whispered, "I'll see you tomorrow."

Cadance left the empty wing, her hooves clicking loudly throughout the crystal halls. Four guards silently formed around their princess as she left the double doors, two in the front and two in the back. Their movements perfectly matched Cadance's pace. To the guards it was only a half an hour of standing at attention. To Cadance, it felt like she had just spent hours looking at her vegetable of a husband.

The guards remained impassive, but their eyes conveyed sadness for their ruler. Three of the guards were crystal ponies. Their armor reflected the light along with their glittering coats. The last guard marching on Cadance's right was an orange Pegasus in gold armor.

Flash Sentry asked, his voice loud in the empty air, "Princess, would you like your meal in the dining hall tonight?"

"No," Cadance said, "I'm not very hungry." Cadance held her head high, but her shoulders were sagging. Her face was strained, deep lines developing around the corners of her eyes complemented the dark bags under the bulbous orbs.

The four guards exchanged worried looks. Flash Sentry pushed the issue, "How about the gardens? You always love to see the sunset from the palace garden."

Cadance turned to him, seeing the worry written in his face. Cadance knew she couldn't win this. The Royal Guards had been trained by Shining Armor himself and all of the Guard respected him to the highest degree. They would not allow her to waste away. The Royal Guard would do their best to protect and support the wife of their lost commander in every way possible.

"Very well."

The small group turned down the nearest hallway, heading towards the greatest view the Crystal Empire had to offer.

Flash sentry and a second guard held open the doors for Cadance to pass into the inner sanctum of the Crystal Palace. The legend was that King Sombra constructed this room for his former wife. The room was filled with flowers of every imaginable color and species. Lilies, roses, sunflowers and more than Cadance could possibly name filled each side of the pale stone paths. The vibrant colors deepened as the sun drew lower into the horizon.

What made this room so special were its walls. The walls were enchanted to make them look like the outside. Many scholars sought to uncover the mystery of this magic, but the fruits of their research have yet to be born. The wall looked over the land of the Crystal Empire. The homes and buildings came to life in the dying light. Reds, violets and blues shimmered in the air. _I can see why Sombra created this room. It's breathtaking._

Cadance sat down at the ornate white table station in the center the open grass, a salad of healthy greens and shiny crystal fruit. Cadance's eyes moved from her food to the empty spot on her left. There use to be a second chair, but the maids had removed it out of curtesy. There would only be one dining tonight.

Cadance felt a sharp stinging in her eyes, but she didn't cry.

A good princess didn't cry in the presence of her subjects. That is what she had to be.

A good princess.

0 0 0

The night grew cold. The pale moon's light created a field of eerie silence in Cadance's room. The room was lavishly furnished with velvety drapes, priceless furniture and a bed big enough to fit four ponies. Cadance shivered under the covers. A cold draft slipped between the thick blankets, chilling her to the bone. Lifting her head from her pillow, Cadance scanned the large room with fog filled eyes.

When her eyes cleared, Cadance froze.

Standing before her, in the center of the room was a towering figure. The figure had to be taller than Celestia, wearing a black cloak. The long cloak completely covered the pony. The long sleeves and trim flowed around the pony's figure as if stuck in a constant breeze.

The only distinguishing feature of this figure was the long horn of silver protruding from the hood. The horn had a sharp edge to it. As if some cruel being had attached a sword to the center of the pony's head.

"Princess"

Cadance's eyes widened. The thing's voice was quite, raspy and cut through the silent air like a knife. It's voice was cold, piercing Cadance with icy fear. Cadance's wide fearful eyes looked into the pitch black hood. She felt the pony's eyes on her. These invisible eyes held her in place as the pony took a single step forward.

When she found her voice, Cadance asked, "Who are you?"

"Who I am is not important," the thing replied. "What I can offer you is."

"What do you mean?" Cadance's hooves trembled, sending shaking waves through the bedspread gripped tightly between her hooves.

"I mean to offer you your husband back," The dark pony stopped beside her bedside, looking down at her.

"H-how?"

Cadance felt the air ripple before her, "That will depend on you." Lower his head to her, the cloaked pony asked, "I want to know, how badly do you want him back?"

Cadance took a moment to think, her heart flutter frantically behind her ribcage. Something about this shadowy figure compelled her to speak, forced her to speak the truth."More than anything."

"Would you want your husband exactly the way he was?"

Cadance nodded. More than anything in the world she wanted her Shining Armor back.

"What happens after that?" the figure hissed his voice far colder than the northern air.

"What do you mean?"

"What happens after that?" the figure reiterated. "If I bring him back as the pony he was, he would still be mortal. Shining Armor would still die, whether it is from King Sombra or from old age."

Cadance looked away from the figure. She knew the pony's words were true. When she ascended, became an alicorn, she had adopted many of the species traits. Namely, she would live forever. Cadance would never age or grow old like the world around her. Cadance would watch the ponies he loved grow old and die over and over again.

"Now you see the problem," the figure said sagely. "If Shining Armor were to be brought back, he would still die in the end."

Cadance spoke up, "You're right. We both knew this would happen. But we talked about it and Shining Armor decided to stay with me no matter what."

"Because he loves you."

"Yes," Cadance said, feeling the warmth of that feeling, the feeling of being loved and returning that love.

"But," the figure's voice broke through her reveries, "You would forget him eventually."

"Never!" Cadance snapped, anger flaring in her like her wings. She would never forget her Shining Armor, no matter how many years have passed.

The figure chuckled, "You're still so young. So naive." The silver horn began to glow with a frail white aura, "Let me show you the truth."

Cadance's world became white as the unknown figure cast a spell of blinding white light. Blinking rapidly, Cadance found herself standing in the center of a large crystal throne room. _I know this room._ Cadance scanned the room around her. The cloaked figure stood silently to the side. Cadance's light purple eyes moved from the silent watcher, focusing on the throne.

Sitting on a regal throne of shining pink and white crystal was a pony Cadance never thought she would ever meet, herself. This Cadance stood high above her younger self. Tall and regal, the future Cadance looked at her in confusion. Her mane simmered in the light as it fell across the throne to the floor, proclaiming its shiny splendor. Past Cadance ignited her horn. Using a spell she learned from Celestia herself, Cadance tried to break through the illusion the cloak figure had create. To her shock, nothing happened. If this was an illusion caused by either magic or some kind of chemical, she would have felt the pressure of the pony's magic or the drugs running through her system. Even if this was a dream, her magic would notify her.

Instead her magic pointed to everything in front of her was true and physically there.

"Who are you?" The older Cadance asked in confusion.

Breaking her concentration, Past Cadance looked to her future with an uneasy look. Cadance didn't know what to say. _What do you say to your future self?_

Before Cadance could say anything, a strong male voice asked, "Cadance, is everything alright?"

Both Cadances turned to the entrance of the throne room, finding a large stallion of a crystal pony enter. His crystal fur sparkled brightly in the light, reflecting his red fur onto the surrounding walls and floor.

"No dear, everything's fine," Future Cadance said, turning her attention back to the younger Cadance.

The Past Cadance felt something wrong, asking incredulously "What do you mean dear?"

"It means exactly what I said," Future Cadance said with a small amount of annoyance entering her voice. "Fire Spear is my husband and I like to call him dear. That should be obvious."

Cadance felt the breath leave her, "Y-y-you remarried?"

"Of course I've remarried," Future Cadance raised an eyebrow, "I've remarried multiple times over my reign as Princess of the Crystal Empire. Did you believe I would stay alone for all these years?"

"But," Cadance's voice echoed in a hush whisper, "What about Shining Armor?"

"Who?"

Past Cadance felt her blood turn to ice, "Shining Armor! My husband! The pony who took the blast Sombra used to try and kill me! Don't you remember your first husband?"

Future Cadance's brow furrow deeply, "Shining Armor." Future Cadance rolled the name over her tongue, deep inside she knew that name. But it was only a feeling. A long lost memory left in time. "No," the future ruler of the Crystal Empire said. A look of sadness spread across Future Cadance's face, it has been so long since she thought about the past. It's been so long since she tried to view past that cloudy window of time. But the memories did not return to her. They simple trickled away like the water in a river, never meant to stay for longer than a heart's beat.

The cloaked pony chuckled, breaking past Cadance from her own revelries. How could she forget the stallion who gave his life for her? How could she forget his sacrifice? Looking up, Cadance found herself inside her room. "Immortality is quite the burden, isn't it?" he said. "To live forever… and all those years weighing heavily on the mind. Could you imagine what it's like? Could you image what it feels like to drift through time as your memory fades into nothingness?" Taking a deep breath, the figure said, "No matter how much you try or how hard you struggle, time cannot be refused. Eventually, everything must fade"

"What do you want?"

The figure smiled under his cloak. He poked and prodded in just the right spots, now was the time to finish the magic and bind Cadance to his cause. "I propose a way to bring back your husband, but better than ever."

"How?" Cadance snapped, the corner of her eyes burning. Turning to face the mysterious figure, Cadance glared directly into the center of the figure's hidden features. The cloaked figure's magic continued to swirl around the princess, unseen and unnoticed by Cadance.

"There is a spell," The figure said, "deep in the Crystal Empire's Grand Library, inside the security vaults, resting on the S self. The spell is held within a red wooden cover inscribed with a white crystal including the initials KS. This spell is one of the last creations from King Sombra himself." The figure noticed the look of horror on Cadance's face, "Don't worry, it was before his fall into madness. During his studies, Sombra discovered a spell that could potentially heal any injury by manipulating energies from our other selves in the mutiverse."

"What?" Cadance mouthed soundlessly.

"To make a long explanation short," the figure said, "the physical bodies and energies of a counterpart in another dimension could be used to recover a dying or physically impaired pony. If you will, imagine taking tissue and energy from this person's body with the exact same genetic material as the patient. The doppelganger would experience some pain and a loss in energy to perform the procedure, but the result would be a completely healed pony. The purpose of this procedure was to heal a pony that may have, let's say, lost a leg or were suffering from an incurable disease. However," The figure held up a hoof, "the greater the injury, more tissue would need to be taken. With brain damage, Sombra found the personalities of these inter-dimensional beings would bleed into the pony he was trying to heal. Pieces of that other self would become part of his patient. This led to some gaining knowledge and experience they could never know or they would wake up as a completely different pony."

Taking a deep breath, the hooded pony's horn began to glow with a weary white light. Cadance's eyes misted, becoming unclear. "To ensure you don't get an evil personality, use the Crystal Heart. Its judgment will pick the perfect candidate for Shining Armor's replacement and provide Shining Armor with some new upgrades. I'll make sure of it." Taking a moment to think, the figure ordered Cadance in a soft voice, "Do not tell Celestia, Luna, Twilight or any pony what you are doing until it is over. You will do this alone. Tomorrow, you will retrieve the scroll, the Crystal Heart and perform the ritual. Then you will have your immortal husband."

Turning away, the figure made to leave but stopped when he reached the center of the room. Looking back, the cloaked figure said in a kind voice, "Remember Princess of Love, even though your husband will be a different pony when he wakes, some part of Shining Armor will live on inside of him. Your husband's love will continue to burn and with it Shining Armor will never truly die."

Cadance's eyelids fell, blackness welcoming her to sleep. Under her calmed expression, the pony's words continued to play over and over again.

0 0 0

**Mariana Ismail,**

By the time you read this, I will no longer be in this world.  
The eradication of war through the use of armed force... all I knew how to do was fight.  
But Celestial Being gave me a reason why I should fight; like that day I saw the Gundam.  
I wanted to know why was the world so twisted?  
Where did this twistedness come from?  
How can people be so wicked without needing to be?  
And why don't they realize their wickedness?  
Why are there things that bring chaos to so many lives?  
Why do people rule and let themselves be ruled?  
And why do they hurt each other?  
And why despite all that do people still want to live their lives?  
I was just looking for answers.  
I thought that if I met with you, you'd give me those answers...  
because you're looking for the same thing along a different path from mine - from the path  
where people can understand each other - for those answers.  
I was looking for answers... together with my Gundam... with MY Gundam.

Marina Ismail, Princess Royal of the Kingdom of Azadistan sat silently at her desk. Silent tears fell from her eyes as the haunting words echoed in her mind. _Oh Setsuna,_ she thought in sadness. Looking out from her window, she saw the lights of her kingdom blinking brightly under the night sky. The heavy desert heat had been replaced by freezing night under the full moon high above their heads. Her heart was heavy. All she wanted to do was end the fighting. Even in her home, the Conservatives and the Reformists continued to feel the fires of war deep inside them. Many of her subjects wanted to turn to violence for the failing economy of Azadistan and the intervention by both the UN forces and Celestial Being.

But in this moment it wasn't her home she felt for, but for the boy stranded thousands of kilometers above the Earth's surface. The boy's name was Setsuna F. Seie. With all her heart she wanted him to never have to fight again, to have to bear that lonely existence.

0 0 0

High above the atmosphere laid the broken Mobile Suit Exia, laid the unmoving form of Setsuna F. Seie. Modeled after the human anatomy, Exia consisted of sturdy white arms and legs with its central body consisting of a green sphere surrounded by various moving plates of blue armor. Exia's head was missing along with its left arm. The once proud white helm with glowing green eyes were lost in the silence of space. On its back, Exia had a large white oval sticking out of the blue armored torso. The GN drive, the soul of the Gundam. The GN drive was the power source that provided the machine with the glowing GN particles, giving the Gundam the gift of flight and powered its weapons. The GN drive didn't spin or move. The lack of particles could be attributed to the melted hole in Exia's chest.

_Earth._ Inside the cockpit, the cold hands of space passed through the gaping hole through the front monitor to surround the small human wearing a deep blue suit and helmet. Standing at a mere 5' 3", Setsuna appeared so small inside the dark blue space suit and the sharp helmet protecting his face. Thankfully, the thick material of Setsuna's suit kept him still alive, even as the vacuum of space sought to snuff out his life. The plasma blade that had ripped through Exia, leaving Setsuna's body battered, bruised and in pain. Cracking open his eyes, varying shades blue, green and tan blurred together before Setsuna's eyes. Groaning, Setsuna tried to adjust his position, getting a better sight of the blue orb clearly visible through the melted metal. Setsuna's brownish chestnut eyes tried to focus on the light entering the cockpit.

Setsuna's attention focused on a truly strange sight. A single white light hovered in front of Exia, as if looking at the damaged machine. Setsuna focused on the light, sure that it was either light reflecting off of some debris or an illusion brought on by his near death experience. The light blinded Setsuna when he looked directly at it, leaving a vague afterimage dancing across his vision.

To Setsuna's surprise the tiny star moved closer. Setsuna tried to move, his limbs slow to obey him. The star entered the cockpit, taking extra care to avoid the melted metal and dangling wires. Hovering directly in front of Setsuna, the object spoke. Its voice was old and ancient, "Do not be afraid, Setsuna F. Seie."

Contrary to the floating ball of light's belief, this did not calm Setsuna. The human attempted to reach for the firearm behind his back, but an invisible force held his hand. _What is this?_

"You won't be needing that," the orb of light said, its voice echoing inside Setsuna' head. With a sigh, the orb of light rested on top of Setsuna's chest. Even through the protective fabric, Setsuna felt the heat radiating from the ball of light. Setsuna shut both his eyes tight, the blinding light hurting even through the darkened visor of his helmet. "My time is short, so I will be brief," the orb began, "Out of many compatible souls that I have encountered. I have chosen you Setsuna F. Seie to become Prince of the Crystal Empire."

Setsuna had no idea what this thing was saying. Everything the orb had said made no sense to him. _Prince? Crystal Empire? What does that mean?_

"I have chosen you for two reasons," the orb's light began to brighten, burning through Setsuna's eyelids. Setsuna tried desperately to turn away, but his range of motion was limited inside the cockpit of Exia. "First, you have great skill at the young age of 16. Your hand-to-hand combat and swordsmanship will give you an advantage over many opponents. And the second," the orb hesitated for just a second, "I believe you need a better life." Setsuna growled at the orb's words "Do not mistake me. You have tried to change the world you live in, but all you know is fighting. I want to change this. I want you to experience joy and love. I see you so alone and isolated in your fight. You deserve to have some happiness in your life. If not in this life, then I will give it to you in the next one."

The orb shot into Setsuna. Pain. A burning, searing fire flooded into Setsuna's body. Screaming, Setsuna writhed in his seat. Every cell felt like it was dying under the onslaught of the orbs bright radiance. The orb's magic took what it needed from Setsuna. From blood, skin tissue, muscle fibers, bone marrow, and even his vary brain would not be saved from the orbs purpose. Setsuna could see the memories the orb was taking from him. Images of his home burning, his dead parents and friends were extracted from his mind like a metal stake slowly being pulled from the center of his brain. The orb felt sadness seep into its immortal being. This pain was necessary. For Shining Armor to be revived, the orb needed to take as much as she could from Setsuna's body and mind. Without Setsuna's personality or memories, Shining Armor would end up as an empty husk, a living body without any conciseness to guide it. Setsuna would survive, _Both here and in Equestria._

"Do not worry about your world," the orb tried to sooth the human as he continued to struggle. "You will not die. Nor will you leave this world unprotected. Here, you have a great destiny Setsuna F. Seie. I am only taking a part of you to help mine. But I will not leave you empty-handed." The orb pulled itself Setsuna's body, turning its attention to the machine around it. Filling the small space with blinding light, the orb began to absorb everything Exia had to offer from material to information and weapons. "Your Gundam will do nicely," the orb hummed to itself. "While I cannot create a giant mechanical suit for you, I can still provide you with armor, weapons and power." The orb focused on the heart of Exia, the lifeless GN drive. The power source of the Gundam held great potential, "Oh yes, you will have power… power to protect your new family and kingdom." Looking down at the human before her, _I am sorry to leave you like this but I must go. My planet needs me._

"Farewell, Gundam Meister of Celestial Being."

Without another word, the orb of light disappeared from Exia. Setsuna was left to float aimlessly in space with his body beaten and in pain.

0 0 0

"W-what's going on here?" Flash Sentry asked. After an explosion of light and agonizing cry, the Royal Guard burst through the double door into the hospital wing to find Princess Cadance standing in front of a formation of blue and white crystals encasing what was supposed to be Shining Armor. The sharp, twisting crystal wasn't the only problem. Hovering above the formation of mineral was the Crystal Heart in its entire splendor.

Princess Cadance looked intently at the scroll in her hoof, confirming the spell was working correctly. _Now the spell says I have to wait two to three days for all of his injuries to be healed. Then the crystal will disappear._ "Hmm," Cadance hummed to herself, reading the personal notes scribbled at the bottom parchment. "Looks like the patient may not immediately become conscious, depending on the severity of their injuries. Patient will also suffer a period of low energy and inactivity. This is considered normal for the more seriously injured patients. Their normal level of health and range of physical movements will reach normal levels after a couple of weeks of rest." Cadance continued to skim through the rest of the notes. Nothing of major importance, just the varying hypothesis King Sombra considered but would never be substantiated due to the legality of this magic.

"Princess?"

Cadance turned to find the door to the hospital wing being overcrowded by her guards. All of the armored ponies looked to her with confusion and worry. The giant crystal that had suddenly consumed Prince Shining Armor was a little unnerving.

"Don't worry my little ponies," Cadance said as calmly as she could. "Everything is under control."

Cadance was wisked away by a babbling group of guards urging her to return the Crystal Heart to its proper place. Some even went so far as to say Cadance should get in contact with Celestia, Luna or even Twilight Sparkle. Cadance was more than happy follow the guards in returning the Crystal Heart. Inside, Cadance felt the small glimmer of hope. The mysterious pony's orders continued to repeat inside her head. _The scroll was exactly where he said it would and the spell seems to be working the way it should._

But what comforted Cadance's choice, was to hear the voice of the Crystal Heart speak to her. In its ancient voice, the Crystal heart gave her comforting words of solace. Words that said her husband would come back. That Shining Armor would be with her again. Cadance stopped for just a moment, coming to a complete stop in the middle of the market district on the return trip to the palace. _Be patient with him. The one I have chosen for you is young. He is from a land unlike ours and will have no knowledge of Equestria or its people. Lead him. Guide him. But never forget, some piece of Shining Armor will live inside him and nothing will change that._

In the echoes of these words, Cadance's thoughts returned to the notes written by the hoof of King Sombra. _Just who am I getting in exchange for this? Shining Armor or a complete stranger?_

Hidden in a shadow filled alley alleyway, the cloaked pony from the previous night watched the Princess's movements. From the surge in magic and subsequent light show from the windows of the Crystal Palace, the cloaked figure knew his plan was now in effect. Reaching inside the folds of his cloak, the lone pony pulled out a wooden box of red wood. Looking at the white crystal and initials, the cloaked figure set the scroll in his hoof on fire. Soon the parchment and paper were reduced to dust. "I am sorry for the deception, Princess Cadance," the pony whispered, looking up to see the retreating form of Cadance standing out against the crowd of crystal ponies. "But to ensure the future of this world, a new champion is needed. One who can blaze a trail to the future."


	2. Chapter 2

The World Changes  
Ch. 2: My Armor

Disclaimer: I do not own the right to either MLP or Gundam 00.

_What am I doing?_

Cadance found herself repeating these words to herself. Cadance tried to remember what was going through her head, sitting silently next to the crystal formation that entrapped her husband. Light filtered through the foggy material. Light reflected in every direction, casting the room in shifting blue and white dots.

Cadance tried to remember what drove her to such an extreme. To follow the words of some deranged cloaked pony that snuck into her bedroom. Pulling from her memory, Cadance couldn't help but feel a cold fear growing in her chest. The pony and his actions were blurred when she thought about last night's unwelcomed visit. The words he spoke were difficult to remember. All Cadance could remember was the feeling. The feeling of hope, that mad insane hope she could get her husband back.

"I should really write Auntie," Cadance said to no one in particular.

Standing by the exit, Flash Sentry turned to the pony next to him. The purple crystal Pegasus mirrored Flash's worried expression.

"Flash Sentry?" Cadance asked turning to face her guard.

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Could you grab me a quill and parchment? I need to send a message to Celestia."

"Of course," Flash Sentry said, quickly leaving the room. On the way out, Flash Sentry gave the two guards standing outside a small smile and nod. For the last fortnight, every member of the guard was set on high alert with the sudden appearance of a giant crystal structure inside the hospital wing.

_I know I should get over it, but the damn thing is still there and its still creeps me right the buck out!_

Cadance sat patiently in the cold hospital wing. The only thing preventing the pink alicorn from flying all the way to Equestria and getting her aunt's help was the Crystal Heart. The absolute pure and holy object of the Empire had vouched for this spell and in extent the pony lying inside the crystal structure. _Why can't things be simple?_

Holding her head between her hooves, Cadance took a deep steadying breath. Cadance continued to breathe in and out, taking in the quiet of her surroundings. Cadance felt the effects of stress continue to gnaw at her insides. Tight bands pulled across her chest, seeking to constrict her lungs. With each breath, Cadance sought to quiet her mind and body.

Cadance would not be able to remove this feeling completely, but she tried to reach a calmed state of mind. Cadance had to remain in control of her emotions and ensure the Crystal Empire ran as smoothly as possible. _Dear Celestia, the stack of paperwork I have to go through,_ Cadance inwardly groaned. Even when she woke up early this morning, the crystal ponies continued to pile more and more requests on her. It was no wonder Princess Celestia relied on the nobles in Canterlot to help run the nation's affairs. If Celestia did all the work herself, she'd have no time to breathe.

Cadance turned her eyes to the blue crystal next to her. If she looked hard enough, the dark outline of a pony could be seen through the warped mineral. Even with so many uncertainties circling around her head, Cadance more wanted more than anything was for this pony to be her Shining Armor. Just to have him laugh with her, hold her, and stand with her as she continued to battle through every hurdle the crystal ponies put in her way.

_Note to self, deny the petition to invade the Northern Forest. I'm sure the deer would not appreciate my subjects raiding their homes._

"Here you are, Princess."

Cadance turned to Flash Sentry, the orange Pegasus holding a roll of fresh parchment, a pristine blue quill and a bottle of black ink. Offering him a smile, Cadance wrapped the objects in her magic, "Thank you, Flash."

Unrolling the paper and prepping her writing tool with ink, Cadance held her quill ready above the clean white paper.

**Dear Aunt Celestia,**

I am writing you today to inform you of a growing development in my kingdom. To be more specific, it's about Shining Armor. Last night I was visited by a cloaked pony. I can't truly remember the conversation, but I do know he lead me to enact a spell that should revive Shining Armor. I do remember during the conversation, using a spell to remove or find any illusions of falsehoods in what the pony showed me was true. The spell he showed me the spell would heal Shining at the cost of drawing energy from another individual. The notes written with this spell said some of the pony's personality could bleed into my Shiny's head.

I think the individual used a spell of influence my decisions. I can't explain why I decided to take the unknown pony's words or why I enacted the spell. My belief is this pony used my emotions to further affect me. But don't be two alarmed! I used the Crystal Heart when performing this spell and she told me that everything would be fine. She did also say that when Shining wakes up he won't be the same pony I married.

Please send anything you may think is helpful.

Love,  
Princess Mi Amore Cadenza  
AKA Cadance.

P.S. Please don't tell Twilight about this. I don't want to give her any false hope. I don't think she could handle the stress of my blunder.

Cadance rolled the letter, using her magic to stamp it with her personnel seal. Handing the document to Flash Sentry, Cadance offered him a quick, "Thanks, Flash."

"No problem Princess Cadance," Flash smiled in return. "But Princess, why don't you magically send it?"

Cadance felt the heat rising in her cheeks, "I never got around to learning that spell."

Flash nodded in response, silently taking the letter in his mouth. With a sharp about face, Flash Sentry moved away from Cadance to pass the word onto the guards standing outside the door. The entire wing returned to its previous silence. Cadance's noon break would soon be over, forcing her back to her everyday tasks of paperwork, legal issues between ponies and the constant job of raising the Crystal Empire into modern times.

0 0 0

Pain.

Setsuna tried to scream, but his voice was silent. Every vein and organ was filled with an intense magma burning into his flesh, organs and bones. Setsuna tried to move, but his body was held in place by something greater. From every angle, a crushing weight pressed down on Setsuna's body as if it was trying to crush his bones into dust. Even through this mind numbing pain, Setsuna could feel something was wrong with his body. Setsuna felt his warped limbs held suspended under the constant force.

Even the simplest action of opening a eye was beyond Setsuna. There was nothing he could do. No way to escape this silent agony. No sound penetrated Setsuna's ears.

_Please… someone… make it stop…_

In the silence, Setsuna would continue to suffer. And the world continued to spin on without ever hearing his pleas.

0 0 0

High in the northern mountains lay many secrets. Under ice and snow, a dark pony sat inside the cavern of his rebirth. Surrounding King Sombra, clear crystals of varying sizes floated next to the dark king's shifting form.

_I must become whole again._

While his body may look like a pony, a closer inspection would reveal the constantly shifting darkness that acted in a false imitation of flesh. A sharp red horn stuck out from the front of the menacing shadow covered. Lifting his hoof, Sombra waved at the crystal standing before him. Colors splashed across the clear surface, twisting and contorting until the image cleared to reveal the Crystal Empire. Looking into the market place, King Sombra could see all of the pony going about their business. All of the ponies wore happy expressions unaware of the danger lurking in the frozen ice.

The former king of the Crystal Empire snarled at the image of such happiness. The surprise attack a month ago was meant to strike fear into his former subjects. When they lost faith in their Princess, the seeds of doubt would grow. When the moment was right, Sombra would be free to return to his throne without any fear of the Crystal Heart.

_Crystal Heart._

The object forged with his own hooves, the instrument of his downfall by Princess Celestia's faithful student and her pet. Sombra's growl echoed in the small chamber, filling the room with the sound of the king's anger. _To think I was beaten by a mere child._ Sombra looked closely at the image, seeing the Crystal Heart shine with pure white radiance.

Sombra would never admit it, but he was quite impressed by Cadance's resolve. After the lost of her husband, Sombra would have thought the blow would have crippled the alicorn and left the Crystal Empire ready him to take even in his weakened state.

_The Princess's resolve is admirable,_ Sombra hissed at the idea. _If only that fool Shining Armor had never interfered, then my victory would have been assured._

For now, Sombra had to wait. Even with the ancient magic he infused in this chamber, the healing process was taking too long. The flesh and bones of his new body were still underdeveloped for Sombra's liking. The magic of this sanctuary continued to knit his flesh and bones together as Sombra patiently waited for his full resurrection.

Even with his body in shambles, Sombra still had magic. Igniting his horn, Sombra turned away from the crystal ponies, his disgust etched in his shadow covered face. _If I want my kingdom back, I'll need to get rid of the Crystal Heart. To do that, I'll have to break the spirit of the crystal ponies… again. So I guess I'll just have to try a different approached.._

Sombra pushed out with his magic. Black tendrils of energy flowed from the red horn to touch twelve crystal columns. The instant his magic touched the crystal's surface, the clear material turned pitch black. The sound of shattering glassed filled the room as the magic began to reshape everything it touched. Chuckling to himself, Sombra shaped the mineral like a clay mold. Each edge would be what he wished it to be and no deviations were allowed.

Sombra smiled as his creatures took shape, pulling the aura back into his horn. _Hello, my children._ Sombra's teeth flashed in the soft light as twelve figures of pure black crystal stood before him. Shaped after a pony typical body type, each figure had four legs, a head and tail. The figures had no eyes, ears or mouths. Instead they had smooth crystal limbs and segmented torsos of shifting sharp rocks. Each crystal creation had a mane and tail of razor sharp spines. The fetlocks of these ponies ended in sharpened hooves, giving the crystal monsters four sharp instruments to stab their master's enemies without a second thought. From their heads a single jagged horn stood out against the smooth, featureless faces.

_Go._

With that single command, the horns of all twelve of Sombra's crystal soldiers glowed with dark energy before vanishing in a blast of absolute darkness. Trying to power twelve individuals with a fraction of his true power proved more strenuous than Sombra originally thought. Sombra's shoulders sagged, the once mighty unicorn almost falling to the floor as exhaustion struck. _But the ends justify the means_

Turning to his scrying crystal, Sombra chuckled to himself. _At least I can get a front row seat to the show._ Sombra watched with batted breath. The shadows holding together his broken body quivered in Sombra's excitement.

_I wish I some snacks._

0 0 0

Cadance rolled her eyes as the noble in front of her continued on and on about something. _I can't quite remember what it was about._ Every Monday, Cadance would spend the entire day dedicated to court for all of the various disputes the cropped up in her kingdom. Ranging the simple matter of a ticket for illegal parking or ending a 100 year dispute between two families that wanted nothing more than to take out their rapiers and fight to the death over some kind of grievance. _In hindsight, banning dueling the first day on the throne was the best idea I've ever had._

Cadance opened her mouth to speak. Her words were drowned out by a loud explosion that rocked the entire palace and all of the surrounding homes. Cadance rushed out of her throne room, followed closely by her guard. Exiting the palace, Cadance and Flash Sentry caught their first glimpse of the problem.

Twelve ponies composed of pure black crystal encircled the Crystal Heart. From their crooked horns, the soulless being fired indiscriminately at the surrounding area. Chunks of buildings, wooden stalls and shattered crystal reigned onto the heads of the crystal ponies. The choir of screams filled the air as all of the ponies ran for cover.

Sombra watched the destruction, lying comfortably on his side as the devastation continued. None of his creations attacked the crystal ponies directly, that just wouldn't do. _I certainly can't have them harming my future servants. Who would work the mines?_ Sombra thought with a bemused look.

Cadance called to the guards, her voice magnified by the magic she generated with her horn. "To all of the Crystal Guard! Protect the civilians and lead them out of the line of fire!"

Cadance turned to Flash Sentry. The orange Pegasus drew the short sword from his belt. Flash Sentry's blue eyes were focused on the creatures that sought to harm the innocent ponies, "Princess, stay here! We'll deal with these crystal abominations!"

Motioning to the guards, Flash Sentry and Cadance's three other bodyguards took to the sky. Their wings propelled themselves at the twelve crystal soldiers. Two of the closest crystal soldiers turned to them, firing volleys dark magic at the oncoming guard.

Wordlessly the four guards scattered, flipping and diving between the blasts. More of the crystal monsters joined the fray, firing indiscriminately at the Pegasus. To the luck of the other guards, the Pegasus provided the perfect distraction for the ground forces to evacuate the civilians.

A group of four crystal guard rushed the twelve crystal monsters, lances held at the ready. One of the crystal beast's horns flared, summoning a wall of pure dark magic in the path of the guards. The guards came to a grinding halt. Their hooves kicked up dirt in their hasty attempt to avoid the dark magic. To their horror, the crystal beast flung the protective wall towards the guards.

Flash caught sight of the four ponies slamming into the wall of an unfortunate home. Ducking under another blast, Flash Sentry found what he was looking for. As more guards poured into the square, the rate of dark magic flying into the air lessened.

With a burst of speed, Flash Sentry flew straight at the closes crystal soldier. Flying low to the ground, the orange Pegasus was able to avoid most of the dark blasts of magic from taking his head. Thankfully, the golden helm adorning his head took the blast before flying off of Flash's head to land with a clatter against the ground more than twenty feet away. Flash Sentry was now close enough to strike.

With a roar, Flash Sentry swung the steel blade with all of his strength at the creature's neck. A pure note rang loudly as steel struck crystal. To his horror, the steel blade didn't even scratch the crystal surface.

"Agh!"

Flash Sentry yelled, a bolt of dark magic striking his right side. White light played across his vision as Flash Sentry crashed into the ground, his armor charred and slightly smoking.

One of the crystal monsters slowly moved towards him. The sharp ends of its legs digging gouging inch wide gaps in the pristine road. Flash pushed himself off of the ground with a snarl feeling the heated metal of his armor push into his fur and flesh. Every breath caused Flash to wince in pain.

The crystal monster raised it hoof, ready to impale the Pegasus. The creature lunged forward in a blur of movement. Flash's years of training were the only thing that saved him, rolling to the side in reflex. The sharp point barely missed his chest. Twisting, Flash Sentry planted his hooves firmly on the ground before bucking the crystal soldier in the chest with every ounce of power his legs could generate.

Flash yelled in pain. It felt as if he was trying to buck a wall made completely out of steel. Legs numb, Flash Sentry threw himself to the left away from his enemy as it took another swipe at the orange Pegasus. Flash stumbled, trying to find enough traction to stand while his legs were too slow to obey. The crystal soldier advanced towards Flash Sentry, taking advantage of Flash's unsteady hooves. The crystal edge tore through Flash's golden armor with little resistance from the metal. Hot liquid spilled down the front of Flash's barrel, turning his orange coat a dark crimson color.

The crystal creature spun on its hooves, delivering a bone crushing buck to Flash Sentries chest. Flash felt his body crumple against the unfortunate building he collided with. Flash's vision turned black, the back of his head cracking on some unfortunate wall.

Dazed, Flash Sentry's blurred vision turned to the foreboding creature stalking towards him. Even with the vast number of guards, none of their weapons were affective. No matter the number of ponies that threw themselves at the moving crystal soldiers, their magic was just too much. The crystal monster Flash was fighting stalked over to him. The crystal beast enjoyed this, slowly approaching the downed Pegasus until it stood right in front of Flash. Raising its right hoof, Sombra's creature prepared to finish Flash.

The sharp point plunged downward. The tip of the hoof was aimed directly for Flash's chest and straight into his heart. Sombra watched as one of his children prepared to pierce the young guard's hearts.

The destruction ringing through the air, coupled by the multitude of screams filled Sombra's heart with a joy he had not felt in years. _Music to my ears,_ Sombra smiled at the sound, wanting to hear more of it. With these beings, Sombra would single handedly crush the hearts of the crystal ponies and with it the power of the Crystal Heart.

A streak of blue magic collided with the side of the crystal monster standing above Flash Sentry. The creature flew through the air, crashing through the wall of the flower shop and proceeded to send bits of pants and soil in every direction..

_At last you've come to join the party, Princess Cadance._

0 0 0

The cloaked pony stood on the balcony of the Crystal Palace overlooking the destruction occurring below him. From the pitch black depths of his hood, the pony growled in anger. "No, not now!" Turning away from the rising black smoke above the rooftops of the buildings, the pony moved unabated through the palace halls. _Sombra should still be too week from his revival. What is he planning?_ Picking up his step, the cloaked pony quickly moved through the halls of the Crystal Palace contemplating his options.

To save the Cadance and the Crystal Empire, only two ponies had the power to stop King Sombra's servants. Himself or … _Setsuna,_ the cloaked pony thought. If the cloaked figure revealed himself now, the plan that took years to develop would be destroyed in a matter of seconds.

Turning down the closest hallway, the cloaked figure came to a decision. _Even if he's not fully healed, the plan cannot be jeopardized._Bursting through the double doors to the hospital wing, the cloak figure marched up to Shining Armor's crystal prison. Igniting his horn with an eerie white light, the cloaked figure whispered to the pony inside the crystal, "Forgive me."

0 0 0

Setsuna felt the world around him change. From black silence, a murmur of voices rose. From his frozen state, Setsuna couldn't tell where they were coming from. There were too many voices coming in from every direction. All of the voices were panicking, calling out in pain and fear.

The voices increased in volume. They rose in a cacophony of panicked calls, filling Setsuna's head with their cries. Setsuna was helpless to the onslaught of voices. The elderly, the young and all in between screamed out into the black abyss around Setsuna.

Setsuna could feel their fear, the fear of a helpless people. Their screams made the human's blood boil. These voices were crying for help and there was nothing he could do. When Setsuna tried to move, his body would scream in agony. The force holding Setsuna continued to hold him without any sign of release.

"Setsuna,"

All of the voiced faded away to nothing. Setsuna knew this gruff voice. _But that's impossible._

"Can you hear them, Setsuna?" Lockon Stratus asked. The slight inflictions of his speech gave hints of his Irish heritage. Setsuna felt the icy knife stab into his chest at the sound of his voice.

A scene played before Setsuna. Exia flew towards the battle raging between the Federation forces and Celestial Being. Exia's normal blue chest and white limbs were replaced with a glowing red. The green emblem in the center of Exia's chest shone brightly against its red body. From the back of Exia, massive stream of glowing green particles propelled the massive robot towards the fight. Setsuna gripped the controls of his machine tightly. His brown chestnut colored eyes were focused on the monitor. Even with the speed boost from the Trans-Am feature, it would take several minutes before he would reach his friends. Lights of pink and red beams shot between the debris and asteroids littering the battlefield, shining bright against the complete darkness of space.

An explosion ruptured across Setsuna monitor. "Come on, Exia. Just a little further," Setsuna grounded his teeth. Stealing a look at the screen to the lower left, the screen revealed a curved bar outlined in purple. The bar was barely a quarter of the way full and was dropping at an accelerated rate relaying the amount of GN particles remaining. In seconds, the Trans-Am feature ended taking with it Exia's speed and red color.

Setsuna scanned the debris field, catching sight of the scraps of white blue and white metal floating aimlessly in space. The monitor blared loudly, a white box focusing on the only life form detected. Setsuna zoomed in on the image to find a destroyed barrel of dark grey metal surrounded by the twisted armor of blue and white. "The GN Arms," Setsuna muttered, at the image trying to desperately to make out any detail. The human floated over the weapon, wearing a dark green space suit similar to Setsuna's. "L-Lockon?" Setsuna pushed the controls forward as far as they could go, forcing Exia to speed towards his friend. The barrel below Lockon began spark with stray electrical currents. Small explosion burst from the sides of the machine as a warning to its approaching destruction. Setuna's hands tightened against the controls to the point it hurt. Setsuna willed the Exia to move faster and save Lockon. Time slowed for Setsuna. The screen he was so focused on blurring around the edges. All Setsuna could see was the image of Lockon look towards the Earth. The barrel of the GN Arms erupted in an explosion of metal, smoke and GN particles. Shrapnel tore through the empty space. "LOCKON!" Setsuna screamed. Lockon's entire body was engulfed in the explosion. With no mobile suite or gear to protect him, Lockon was ripped apart by metal the metal fragments.

Setsuna felt his body tense up, ushering a wave of agony through him as he tried to sob at the memory. Lockon was one of his friends and Setsuna had failed him.

"You can save them Setsuna," Lockon's voice spoke, echoing inside Setsuna's head. "You can save them all."

_How?_ Setsuna pleaded. The burning rage and guilt filled his heart. These feeling drove him to struggle against the unyielding force surrounding him, keeping him prisoner inside this black void.

"You just have to break free."

Setsuna tried to move, struggling in vain to move anything. Arms, legs, head and even his eyelids refused to move against the force surrounding him. The force around him was still too strong. It never wavered as it continued to hold Setsuna's twisted body.

With a sigh, Lockon said, "I guess you need a little more, motivation."

The screams returned. Only this time, they were louder than he could ever have imagined. Hundreds if not thousands of voices rang through Setsuna's head. The sound hit him like a physical blow, Setsuna felt himself be physically torn by their cries. The pain was excruciating.

From the outside, the cloaked figure watched his handiwork. The air became filled with the sound of splintering rocks. Thin cracks spread across the unblemished crystal surface like spider-webs. The figure watched the pony inside begin to move. Shards of Setsuna's crystal prison fell to the floor, filling the air the light clattering of hundreds of crystal shards smacking into the ground.

Stepping away from the crystal, the cloaked figure erected a barrier around him in case things got a violent.

Setsuna roared inside the crystal structure before it finally gave in. The blue crystal shattered into a thousand pieces. The explosion sent sharp crystal in every direction. The furniture and walls became peppered with the sharp projectiles. But that was nothing compared to the pony that burst through the walls of the palace in search of those that needed his help.

The cloaked pony looked closely at trail of glowing green particles left in Setsuna wake. With a sigh, the lone figure disappeared in a flash of blinding light. There was no need for him now. The Crystal Empire had their champion. _I would say I feel sorry for Sombra, but then I'd be lying._

0 0 0

Cadance grunted in pain, her blue quivered under the assault of all twelve of Sombra's crystal soldiers. The beings slowly approached Cadance. Cadance eyes darted between the indistinguishable features of the crystal abominations, trying to find an opening to counterattack. But their tactics were too great.

Sombra knew what he was doing. If he kept the Princess constantly on guard, she couldn't attack. With the guards' weapons made useless, there was no threat from any physical attack. The black crystal soldier took another step towards their prey, always keeping up the constant stream of attack aimed directly at Cadance.

Flash Sentry stood next to his Princess, baring a fearce snarl. But he knew he was no match for these things. Flash Sentry could see their plan. By keeping Cadance on guard, the twelve could keep her in one place. Then it would be a matter of getting close enough for a physical strike. The black crystal beings would dispatch the Crystal Empire's ruler with a single strike of their sharp hooves. Taking with it the hope and dreams of the crystal ponies and handing them over to King Sombra

_What do I do?_ Cadance forced her shield to surge forward. The barrier struck the twelve monsters, but had little effect. Cadance's magic barely budged the crystal hooves digging deep into the ground.

From his bird's eye view, Sombra smiled. His prey was slowly being backed into a corner. With no chance to retaliate or escape, Cadance would fall and Sombra would swoop in to reclaim what was rightfully his. _I can't wait,_ Sombra licked his shadowed lips waiting for the pink alicorn's blood to flow freely from her body.

_What is that?_

An object entered the airspace above the battle, his features a startling white and blue. _No… That's impossible._

Setsuna floated above the burning city. From the black pit of the pupil, the shocking blue color in the center of the iris drastically changed to a dark chestnut brown. The bright sun reflected off his pure white coat and electric blue mane. Two majestic wings spread wide from between his shoulder blades. Unlike the average Pegasus wings, Setsuna's were sleek and sharp like a sparrow's. The pristine white feathers flowed to a sharp point. A light blue tinted the edges of these wings. Any passerby could see that these wings were not normal. From the folding joint of the wing, a sharp blue crustal edge protruded from the bone and from each wing a strange green light emitted from his back. The air behind Setsuna was filled with these glowing green particles filling the air with a strange whirring noise.

Blinded by pain and purpose, Setsuna acted only on instinct as his senses focused on the burning fires and the monsters raiding the city. Shining Armor's body acted on these instincts, were Setsuna wanted to go so would Shining Armor. The white magic of the cloaked figure forced Setsuna to look onto the battlefield, to forget everything else except for this fight and to ignore the completely obvious white nose sticking out of his face. It was a small binding spell, but one that would be necessary. If Setsuna was going to survive this day, he couldn't be distracted by anything.

The strange noise coming from Setsuna's wings drew the attention of many of the guards. In particular a light purple Pegasus turned his head towards the source of the noise, ignoring the long slice to his side that split both armor and skin. _Shining Armor,_ he thought with disbelief. From the looks of, the guards saw Shining Armor had arrived and he was ready to fight.

A broach chest of segmented blue metal, the same color of his mane, was attached snuggly to Setsuna's chest. A dark green gem circled gem shown against the blue in the direct center of Setsuna's barrel. Blue armor gave way to white covering the lower back, stomach and hind legs. A thick belt of connected square plates wrapped around Setsuna's waist. Like the typical Royal Guard ensemble, a small hole was left for Setsuna's tail. Unlike the average pony's tail, Setsuna's tail was long and thin, with white fur flowing from the base to a tip of tufted blue. The on looking guards associated this new appendage to that of a lion's or griffon's tail. On each of Setsuna broad shoulders, square and blocky shoulder pads composed of a similar blue metal sat. Attached to each leg was a white armor as pure as Setsuna's coat. Down each leg ran a thick black trail from shoulder to hoof. Setsuna's hooves were left open to the air, allowing him the grasp the assortment of weapons her carried.

Attacked to the foreleg of Setsuna's right front leg was a thick broadsword and what appeared to be small shield. The blade was held in place by a mechanism that allowed the blade rest in the reverse position away from his hoof when it wasn't needed. With a flick of his wrist, a small blaster that acted as the hilt for the GN sword slid into Setsuna's hoof with the blade still folded back. The trigger of the gun was bigger than its predecessor to accommodate Setsuna's hoof. On Setsuna's left leg, an oval shaped shield with a sharp point provided Setsuna with a moderate means of defense. Barely wider than a foot at the center part of the shield, this item extended a few inches past his hoof and rose all the way to his shoulder. On each of Setsuna's hips rested the GN blades. Triangular blades of white metal and long hilts, these blades were snuggly attached to his belt. The blade on Setsuna's left side was significantly shorter than the right, the blade only reaching a foot long while the other one was two and a half feet. Each blade's hilts were held at the ready, facing towards the front of Setsuna's chest. Four rectangular hilts of white metal protruded from Setsuna's back. One sat underneath each shoulder and two behind the small of his back attached directly to the belt.

Every movement caused Setsuna an excruciating amount of pain. Each limb burned with a fire that would normally be reserved for one of the lowest levels of Hell. His chest ached with ever breath while his heart pounded the insides of his ribs. His head felt like a parade of tanks were slowly running over it, causing his vision to cloud around the edges. This would not stop him. Adrenaline pumped through every fiber of Setsuna's being, pushing the flesh further than it should. Setsuna saw dozens of wounded guards the once pristine roadways. Armor shattered and blood flowing freely. Many were seriously injured, thankfully few appeared dead. The sight of their bodies was strange. Small horses with shining coats and equally reflective armor was not a normal sight for the human.

While only the market was mainly affected, Setsuna saw the black flames and smoke spilling from the destroyed homes. Setsuna turned to face the sound of rapid firing lasers. Twelve black creatures with sharp horns had two of these small horses pinned. A translucent shield was all that protected them from their inevitable deaths.

Beads of sweat trickled down Cadance's forehead. The pink unicorn with wings pushed against the twelve monstrosities. The twelve crystal monsters pushed with a greater force against her barrier. The sharp points of their hooves slowly slid through the barrier, piercing Cadance's magic.

In an instant, the battle change.

Cadance, Flash Sentry and any guard close to the raging battle watched in complete awe as a high pink beam of pure energy tore through the chest of one of the crystal soldiers. The resulting blast sent all of Sombra's crystal monsters scattering. More blasts ensued, catching two more as they got to their hooves.

All heads turned to the source of the blasts. Cadance felt her heart stop in that moment. Time slowed as she looked upon the face of the pony that had saved them. Setsuna's blue mane flowed freely in the wind's breeze. A lifetime of military training and combat Shining Armor had worked for was now Setsuna's greatest strength. Were Setsuna wanted to move, the pony followed.

Activating the GN Sword, the large blade on Setsuna's right foreleg swung into position. Pointing the edge towards one of the crystal monsters, Setsuna flew forward.

The crystal monsters began to fire upon the flying pony. Raising his shield, Setsuna's weather the dark blasts. Dark magic peppered the E-Carbon armor forged specifically for the Gundams, but none of Sombra's dark magic could harm either Setsuna or his armor. Sombra growled as the GN Sword sliced through the crystal rock and magic cutting the creature right down the middle.

Swinging around, Setsuna shot towards the closest crystal monster. Setsuna's eyes only had room for his next opponent and nothing else. The cloaked pony's magic and his need to stop the screams prevented anything else from distracting him. This crystal soldier rolled under the humming blade. Jumping upright, the monster turned to fire at Setsuna's back. Setsuna spun, catching the blasts with his shield. "AH!" Setsuna roared, swinging for the crystal monster's head.

The monster ducked under the vertical strike. With nimble hooves, the crystal monster jabbed Setsuna in the side. To Sombra's growing frustration, the crystal hoof shattered against Setsuna's armor. Setsuna sidestepped the second strike before catching the thing with a slash to its stomach and cutting the thing in two.

The remaining nine of Sombra's creations remained cautious around the sudden arrival of Setsuna, providing a steady rate of suppressive fire against the avenging Setsuna. Each blast was strong. Setsuna could still feel the physical force of each blast. But they did little damage to either armor or flesh.

Cadance watched with an open mouth. She watched her Shining Armor hover inches above the ground, the green particles flowing from his wings giving him greater amount maneuverability. Weaving between the strikes, Cadance watched in wonder as Setsuna weather the blows before striking down two of the crystal monsters with a single strike that took both of their heads. To be honest, the Princess of Love didn't know how to feel. Cadance's heart beat rapidly against her ribcage. She felt shocked, worried, and fearful of her husband. Beneath that though, she felt hope. Cadance looked to her knight in shining armor saving her and her subjects from the brink of death.

The GN Sword folded back, Setsuna taking to the air while firing on another one of Sombra's crystal soldiers. The blast tore through the crystal foreleg before being finished by a shot to the head.

Sombra snarled with rage watching as his creations wered destroyed so easily by Setsuna. Sombra watched Setsuna smash the sharp part of his shield into another one of his children. The shield shattered the crystal monsters chest. Setsuna made sure the thing was dead by destroying its head in a blast of pink plasma

Three of the crystal monsters rushed Setsuna, hoping to use their numbers to overpower him. To Sombra's and Cadance's surprise, Setsuna folded the GN Sword back into its holstered position. The shield Setsuna carried dropped to the ground with a clattered. With both hooves now freed, Setsuna reached behind to his lower back and grasped the two rectangular hilts.

Throwing the blades forward, a short pink energy blade pierced through two of the charging crystal soldiers though their torsos. The pair dropped to the ground with a loud crash. Setsuna reached under each of his shoulder. The white hilts folded down to meet Setsuna's blue hooves. Pulling out the blades, two and a half foot plasma blades erupted from the hilts.

Cadance watched Setsuna perform a counterclockwise spin, dodging the crystal monster. With a quick swing of his blade, Setsuna caught the crystal soldier in its side before finishing it off by removing its head from its body. Cadance never believed her Shining Armor could move so fluidly. The sections of Setsuna's armor moved as he moved, never hindering the pony's movements.

Setsuna turned to face the final two crystal monsters. Sweat poured down Setsuna's face, stinging his eyes. His breathing was heavy. Each breath felt like a red hot poker was piercing each of his lungs. Setsuna's legs felt like they were felt like lead, trembling under the strain his body was being forced to endure. _Not going to last much longer._

From the window of the book store, two ponies cowered behind the cracked wall. Thankfully the building's structure remained intact. Page Turner, a light tan crystal pony with a brown mane and eyes peered over the window. Lying on the ground was the trembling form of a pale white mare with a sparkling blue mane. Page Turner watched his Prince dodge the remaining two crystal ponies, his trembling hooves held onto the only item in his procession. Something the Equestrian ponies called a 'camera.'

Both of the jagged horns of Sombra's beasts flared with dark magic. Since blasts were infective, the two remaining crystal soldiers charged blindly forward. The sought to skewer Setsuna's armored side by focusing all their magic on the point of their horns. Sliding to the side, Setsuna could feel his body slowing down. His muscles became slower to react and sent a constant stream of pain signals up Setsuna's nervous system.

The two crystal monsters separated with each, moving opposite of each other in a wide circle. Setsuna's eyes shifted from one to the other, his blades pointed at each of the crystal monsters. The plasma blades shimmered with heat, the pink blades looking quite intimidating beside their color. Sombra's monsters rushed forward on both Setsuna's left and right side.

Plasma energy and black magic sparked as sword and horn collided. Setsuna growled, holding the two monsters at bay. Page Turner watched Setsuna jump into the air, the GN particles pushing him high above the two crystal monster's heads. The two smashed against one another, cracking their crystal bodies.

"AH!" Setsuna yelled, lifting both blades above his head. With a mighty flap of his wings, Setsuna delivered an earth shattering strike. The pink blades tore through the crystal as if it was nothing, leaving a glowing tail of melted crystal. The road cracked under Setsuna's hooves during his landing.

Setsuna stumbled forward, his vision becoming black for a second. The two hilts of the beam sabers fell from his hooves. The only thing keeping Setsuna still concious was the possible threat of another enemy. Scanning the area front of him, Setsuna's blue and brown eyes saw only scattered pieces of buildings, a few guards too injured to move and a pink pony looking at him in awe.

Cadance's eyes marveled at the image before her. A tired and wearing Shining Armor standing triumphantly. The rays of Celestia's sun reflected off the Setsuna's armor. A faint breeze caught the blue mane, swaying the long flowing hair across Setsuna's proud shoulders and neck.

From the book store, Page Turner watched Setsuna stand silently. Raising the camera to his eyes, Page Turner flipped the switch to take a photo. The photo of his Prince after a hard won victory.

Cadance's gasped in shock, Setsuna fell onto his front hooves with a crash. Setsuna's trembling limbs could barely support his weight. The white unicorn's body lurched, Setsuna's pony insides filled with fire for the unwanted physical exertion. With a gargled groan, Setsuna spilled the constants of his stomach onto the ground. Setsuna's blurring vision quickly grew dark. Neither his will to fight nor the cloaked pony's magic could push Setsuna any further. Setsuna could finally sleep while his body fell towards the earth.

Cadance, followed by a limping Flash Sentry rushed to Setsuna's side. With her magic, Cadance caught Setsuna in a blue aura before his muzzle could meet with the cold unforgiving ground. Lifting him off the ground, Cadance brought Setsuna's face to eye. Cadance raised a cautious hoof. Slowly, she pressed her hoof against Setsuna's brow feeling the heat radiating off of his skin.

Cadance turned her gaze towards the inured ponies and the damaged buildings. "Flash," Cadance said.

"Yes, Princess?" Flash asked turning to face Cadance's worried expression.

"I'm going to the palace get every available nurse and medical personnel to aid any of the injured. When you are able to, I want you to join me alongside any capable guardsman to apply aid to any pony needing it," Cadance said. "I will have the Palace staff open all available rooms to any of the crystal ponies whose home are too damaged or destroyed. Tomorrow we will begin rebuilding, but today our main priority is the injured."

"Yes Princess," Flash saluted, wincing as his chest burned from the sharp movement.

Cadance turned to make her way to the castle, calling on any of the passing guards she found to action.

Sombra roared at the image splayed across the crystal's surface. Sombra's angry yells range through the empty cavern shaking the crystal structures to their very foundation. _To think I, King Sombra, was thwarted again by these ponies. What was that power?_ Sombra's red eyes bore into the image Cadance carrying her husband away.

0 0 0

Hours passed in a blur for the ponies of the Crystal Empire, to Cadance they felt like an eternity. For hours she shepherded any pony without a home into the empty rooms inside the majestic palace. Cadance dragged her hooves across the floor as she made her way through the palace halls. Her horn felt heavy. With so few medical staff to apply proper medical care, the burden came to Cadance to heal less serious injured. Allowing the medical staff provided by Celestia to focus their efforts on the serious cases.

Cadance counted her lucky stars that none of the citizens or guards were killed. _The small miracles in life_, Cadance trudged to the tall double doors that lead to her room. Two crystal guards stood at attention next to her door. Even with their armor dented and faces bruised, these two guards looked determined to guard Cadance's bedroom with their lives. Upon seeing their ruler, the two crystal guards bowed low to the ground.

"Um, what's going on here?" Cadance asked.

"Princess Cadance," the teal colored pony answered, "After Dr. Charts' initial examination, she determined that the Prince was in no medical danger and thought Shining Armor deserved to rest in comfort."

"Wait what?" Cadance asked, her mind going blank for a moment.

The guards shuffled uncomfortable in his armor, "Dr. Charts wanted Shining Armor to wake up in a place he felt comfortable in."

"Why?"

"After being in a coma for such a long period of time," the smooth voice of doctor Charts said from the doorway. Cadance turned to face the shorter unicorn. Dr. Coats's fur was a pale grey with a darker mane of grey and a black streak running through it. The good doctor wore a once prestine white coat and stethoscope. But the white material had become very wrinkled after hours of constant motion. Cadance could see the dark bags under the unicorn's eyes. _They're almost black._ Dr. Chart's held one of the doors open, "I didn't want Shining Armor to freak out when he woke up."

Leading Cadance to the bed, Cadance felt her heart flutter in her chest. Lying fast asleep under the deep velvet covers lay Setsuna. The slow rise and fall of his chest had a strange calming effect on the worn princess. Here was the living breathing version of her husband. The strong chin and brow rested comfortably on the pillow wearing a peaceful expression.

"Now," Dr. Charts began, "I've gone through all available tests at my disposal. X-ray, physical examination, I took some samples from his horn and a few organs to look under a microscope and finally I ended on a CAT scan on his cranium."

Cadance rubbed a hoof to her head, trying desperately to follow the Doctor's words, "How did you find the time to do these tests while working on the dozens of patients you had today?"

"Oh I have my ways," Dr. Charts offered Cadance a tired smile. "I haven't had time to look over the results, but I did notice one thing." Reaching over Setsuna's body, Dr. Charts pulled one of Setsuna's hooves to eye level. In the center of the blue hoof was a strange green circle. The light reflected off the foreign object like crystal.

"What is it?"

Dr. Charts sighed, "I'm not sure. From my initial observation, it seems to be some kind of organic crystal. I don't know exactly what it is or the extent of the crystal's growth, but each hoof seems to have it and here." Dropping the hoof, the good doctor lifted one of Setsuna's wings to reveal his spine. Along the spine a single strip of crystal running between the Setsuna's wings. Cadance could see the faint outlines of green light veins running from the spine and into the wings.

"So," Cadance began, her mind trying to process this new development, "do I need to be worried about this?"

"Not to my knowledge," Dr. Charts answered with some hesitation. "There appears to be no magical signatures coming from the crystal. I scanned his entire body for any foreign or dark energy signatures, but I found none. That knocks off any kind of hazardous spell or one of Sombra's tricks." Dr. Charts made to leave, "I'll let you know the results of my tests tomorrow when I get the chance. Goodnight, Princess Cadance."

Cadance said her goodbye, knowing she and the doctor were far too tired to do anything else tonight. "Guards," Cadance called, "Make sure you get some rest too. I think we all could use a goodnights sleep."

With a flicker of her horn, Cadance extinguished the lights before hesitantly slipping under the covers. Keeping to the edge of the mattress, Cadance stared up at the ceiling. Her heart skipped several beats. The anxiety she felt was so strange. Here Cadance was, lying in her own bed with a pony that looked clearly like her husband, but yet he wasn't her husband. _Why is life so confusing?_ Stealing a glance over at the sleeping unicorn, Cadance felt a strange heat rise in her cheeks.

Cadance found it difficult not to move closer to Setsuna's sleeping form, to physically touch his white fur and confirm that he was actually there. Cadance kept her eyes to the ceiling, trying to not look at Setsuna. Cadance felt like a little school girl, trying desperately not to look at Setsuna for fear of him catching her staring at him while he slept. Setsuna's soft breathing drew her eyes towards him. Cadance looked at the familiar muzzle. Setsuna's long mane partially covering his closed eyes gave his hair a messy look. Setsuna looked so peaceful lying across from her. Cadance felt the pang of her heart echo inside her chest. She wanted to move closer to him, to be held in those familiar forelegs. Cadance wanted to experience the same sensation of Shining Armor's fur against her own. It had been so long since she felt his strong hooves embrace her. To have those same forelegs hold onto her and tell her everything would be fine.

Slowly, methodically, Cadance inched her way across the violet silk sheets. Sestuna's showed no reaction as Cadance's mass compressed the mattress near. Setsuna was held in the grips of a dreamless sleep, a healing sleep. Cadance felt the heat radiate off Setsuna's body as she approached, less than a foot away now. She could feel the anticipation wrack her frame. _Almost there._

Setsuna's brow furrowed as his mind tried to process the warm object pressing against his body. There was no threat to be perceived, only soft warmth forcing its way into his arms. Cadance laid her head against Setsuna's barrel. Cadance closed her eyes tight, trying to remember the feeling of Shining Armor holding her. Cadance shivered, almost in disgust. Disgust in herself. Here she was, Mi Amore Cadenza, lying with a stallion she couldn't entirely vouch for.

Cadance felt so alone. The threat of attack from Sombra, the constant burden of running an Empire and losing her husband had made her soft. All those longs nights of staying up past midnight, tirelessly working at her desk, Cadance felt the tension that had been growing in her chest for the past year take its toll. The only thing that kept her going was Shining Armor. How he could always make her smile. How, no matter what, Shining Armor would always be there for her. When he left, so did a part of Cadance. Cadance was left with a gaping hole in her chest, one that could not be easily filled.

Cadance felt hot tears well up in the corner of her eyes. Burying her face in Setsuna's chest, Cadance let the emotions break the surface. For the first time in a month, Cadance finally let her emotions have their way with her. The fear of her subjects, the fear of Sombra, the isolation she felt and her loss; the loss of those five brave guards who fell today and the loss of Shining Armor. There was no pony to turn to. Twilight had spent the last month searching the four corners of Equestria for any magic she could use to recover her big brother. Celestia provided them with every ounce of research, knowledge and time she could. But Celestia was still a pony and she couldn't solve every problem that reared its head. Cadance trembled against Setsuna's soft fur letting her confused and churning emotions tear through her body and mind.

_I can hear a voice…_

It sounds so

familiar.

Cadance flinched in surprise. The white forelegs began to move of their own accord. Setsuna could not explain why he did it. Something deep inside him wanted to comfort the person next to him. With jerking limbs, Setsuna wrapped his forelegs around Cadance's small frame.

Cadance looked up into Setsuna's face. Cadance looked at the furrowed brow playing across Setsuna face, looking as if he was experiencing a bad dream.

Cadance gave into her emotions. Cadance returned Setsuna's embrace, resting her head against Setsuna's thick neck. With every beat of Setsuna's heart, Cadance listened. She allowed herself this moment. A moment to let all of the stress and tribulation of the day were slowly drift away. For a moment, Cadance could rest in a pony's arms again. For the first time in a month, Cadance fell into a deep sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

The World Changes

Ch. 3: What's Yours is Mine And What's Mine is Yours.

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to MLP or Gundam 00.

Edited by: hunterman3

Princess Celestia stood atop her tower, her horn glowing bright. Tall and dignified, Celestia performed the single most important job of her office. Her pure white fur and the flowing colors in her mane showed pure in the glow of the morning sun. Celestia's gold crown and slippers sparkled in her morning light. The glowing ball of light slowly lifted to the horizon in the east, casting rays of bright red and purple across the sky. "Another beautiful sunrise," Celestia's eye glimmered at the sight of her bright ball of burning gas.

Calmly, Celestial moved into the castle. Several of the castle's staff greeted her warmly. Celestia acknowledged them with a simple nod of her majestic head.

The staff watched Celestia march past them. On the outside, Celestia may be calm but the slight shifting of her large eyes revealed the distress the Sun Princess was experiencing. Even with the burden of a nation weighing on her shoulders, Celestia worried about her young niece. _My little Cadenza._

Celestia's hooves carried her to the dining hall. With a flicker of her horn, Celestia pushed open the tall ornate double doors to reveal a long dining table decorated with priceless golden dishes and rich red dining cloth of smooth silk. Rows of chairs lined both sides of ornate table. "Good morning, Lulu," Celestia giggled. Across from Celestia's seat sat her younger sister.

Princess Luna's dark blue coat and star covered flowing mane drooped over her sagging shoulders. Bits and pieces of Luna's mane stuck out in odd directions to complement her crooked crown. Dark circles were visible under Luna's eyes to accompany her frazzled mane. "Ugh," Luna groaned into her bowl of mixed fruits. "How can you be so chipper in the morning sister?"

Celestia shrugged, "Coffee. How was your night?"

Luna rubbed her blue slipper to her aching head, "Why did you have to move Blueblood's annual tax review to my Night Court?"

Celestia calmly took the seat across her sister, "I thought it would be good for Blueblood to spend some time with you."

"He spent five hours prattling on about tax breaks for the rich," Luna said, her expression deadpanned.

"And that was five hours you got to spend with your favorite nephew," Celestia said with a smile.

"Hmmm!" Luna huffed indignantly.

Celestia chuckled at Luna's pouting face. With a flicker of her magic, Celestia grabbed a bowel of fruit and a glass of orange juice from the food between her and Luna. Silently, the two alicorns enjoyed their meals.

The sound of hooves clattering against the hard floor approached Celestia. The haste at which these hooves were travelling caught Celestia's attention. _I wonder who it is?_

With a loud bang, the two double doors burst open with enough force to rattle the chandlers high above their heads. Standing in the doorway, breathing heavily, was Celestia's personal maid and secretary. A unicorn with light yellow fur, Sunbeam's normally kempt mane-bun was completely disheveled. Bits of her bright red mane poked out in every direction. "Princess Celestia!" Grasped tightly in her magic appeared to a rolled up newspaper. Celestia noted Sunbeam's paled expression.

Luna covered her ears, her tired mind being assaulted by Sunbeam's loud voice. "Yes, Sunbeam?" Celestia asked calmly, confusion written across her face.

Sunbeam trembled, slowly bringing her towards Princess Celestia. "Y-Y-you need to read this," Sunbeam stuttered, her wide eyes conveying to the princess her urgency.

Celestia reached out with her magic, grabbing hold of the rolled up newspaper with her bright gold aura. Celestia unrolled the paper before her. To her surprise, a single letter fell from within the confines of the Equestrian Times. Celestia's eyes widened when she caught sight of the front page.

Luna looked to her trembling sister. The newspaper shook inside Celestia's tight grip. "Tia?" Slowly, Celestia turned the paper towards Luna. Luna's eyes mirrored her sister's reaction. Almost half of the front page was taken up by a single photo. A white stallion stood triumphantly in the middle of a crystal street wearing deep blue and white armor. "Shining Armor?"

Celestia turned her attention towards the letter. The newspaper dropped from Celestia's magical grasp to land heavily on the table. With trembling hooves, Celestia opened the letter addressed to her.

Luna, eyes wide, watched Celestia read Cadance's letter. Celestia paled as her eyes moved further down Cadance's hastily written words.

Silence fell heavily inside the dining hall. Celestia worked her jaw, grinding her teeth together as her mind ran a mile a minute. One important thought overshadowed all others: _I need to get to the Crystal Empire._

Celestia tore from her thoughts to instead focusing on Luna's concerned eyes. Luna's deep blue eyes conveyed the worry and the sadness for the burden Celestia bore. Celestia spent so many wakeful hours in fear for her niece. A now this had to happen.

Celestia's eyes became firm with determination. Celestia turned to Sunbeam, "Sunbeam."

"Yes, Princess?" Sunbeam asked, every vein with adrenaline.

"Please inform the nobles that today's court will be closed and I will be on a short leave of absence," Celestia said.

"Are you sure? I can come with you, if you want," Luna offered.

Celestia shook her head, "No Luna. You should remain here. Canterlot needs a princess on the throne." After a moment, Celestia tried to offer Luna a sad smile, "We don't want our ponies panicking."

"We could always get Twilight to come over to foalsit," Luna said in a halfhearted attempt at humor.

Celestia shook her head, "No. Twilight will only have one thing on her mind when she gets the news."

"Meaning, she'll head straight for the Crystal Empire."

Celestia stood, turning away from the dining table and leaving her barely touched breakfast. Celestia marched out of the dining hall with her head held high calling, "I better not find all of my cakes missing when I return."

Luna scoffed, "Your accusations fall on innocent ears. I have no idea what cakes you are referring too." Celestia moved into the hallway, Luna's voice carrying down the straight walls, "An even if I did, I certainly wouldn't know you kept them behind the poster of Fall Out Colts secured by a three inch titanium steel safe with three different combination locks."

Celestia's low chuckle were all Luna received as the Sun Princess made her way into the court yard. _Chariot would be too slow and the train would be even worse._ In a flash of blinding white light, Celestia disappeared from the walls of Canterlot and effectively scaring most of the Royal Guards.

0 0 0

Spike was not a happy dragon. Today, the small purple dragon was working diligently on cleaning the giant castle of purple and blue crystals. Spike's green underbelly was a stark contrast to the darker purple scales that ran across his back and arm with green vertical spines running down his back. Standing atop a tall ladder, Spike's small ivory claws held a duster as he feverishly tried to remove the thin layers of soft dust covering the thick leather bound books lining Twilight's library from one wall to the other. Dark circles stood out against the purple scales under his eyes.

_I mean, sure I'm surrounded by some of the most delicious looking gems imaginable, but Twilight won't let me eat any of it!_

Spike grumbled to himself. It wasn't even worth trying to talk to any of the ponies around because Spike was all alone in the Castle of Friendship. The air was still. Spike took a step down the ladder to work on the next shelf. The only sound Spike could hear was his own singular breathing and the soft _swish, swish_ of the feathered duster.

Spike's green eyes held a deep sadness. It's been two weeks since Twilight last visited. Currently, the Princess of Friendship was consulting a pony in Pranceton about a possible experimental procedure. _I think his name was Hoarse… or something?_

The silence was getting to him. The cold floors and empty halls were getting to him. Spike was accustomed to having Twilight leave the house for a couple of days, but this was something else. Seeing Twilight in that state, her frantic search through the library tearing through every book of medicine and magic she could get her hooves on. There was nothing she could find, no magical cure to bring back Shining Armor. It got to him, made him feel useless. _I guess, more useless than usual_, Spike thought with disgust.

Spike sighed loudly, his voice sounding louder than it should in the wide empty room. Spike couldn't feel at home here. There was nothing here to comfort Spike. No Twilight, no basket, no oak tree, just cold hard surfaces and silent air.

Spike's cleaning came to a halt. Sliding down the ladder, Spike mentally pushed these ideas to the back of his brain. _I'll finish later_, Spike shrugged halfheartedly. After disposing of his trusty feather duster, Spike made his way out the front doors of Twilight's Castle and into the cold morning.

The cold morning air filled Spike's lungs, invigorating him. Spike's eyes scanned the deep green grass covered in specks of frozen dew. Lying on the pristine lawn was the morning paper wrapped in a clear plastic bag. The young dragon waddled forward to grab the paper. _I hope the funnies are good today._

With the paper in hand, Spike entered the castle once again. Spike followed the long hallways to the kitchen. The white flooring and pristine clean countertops waited patiently for Spike, even going so far as to sparkle in the early morning light for him. _When Twilight enters the room, they trembled in fear._ Spike deftly tossed the paper onto the countertop before turning to the stove.

For breakfast, Spike chose to make scrambled eggs and toast topped with strawberry jam. Deciding to eat in the kitchen, Spike sat in front of the bar on a tall stool. Spike eagerly readied to eat his food, his fork held at the ready.

**Bang!**

Spike froze. His forkful of egg suspended an inch away from his open mouth.

"Spike," a very tired voice called from the entryway.

Spike quickly jumped from his stool, sprinting towards the front door of Twilight's Castle. Turning around the corner, Spike felt a mix of emotions pass through his heart when he came face to face with Twilight.

Twilight's dark purple mane was a mess. The circles under Twilight's eyes almost appeared black. Twilight's once clean fur appeared oily and unkempt, as if she had barely slept in a proper bed or bathed for the past two weeks. Twilight's eyes were red.

"Are you okay Twilight?" Spike asked worriedly, speeding towards her.

Twilight shook her head. Slowly, the alicorn stumbled forward. Spike was at her side in an instant, placing her foreleg over his shoulders to steady the worn out princess. Grateful, Twilight stumbled against her Number One Assistant as he led her into the kitchen.

Spike deposited Twilint onto a nearby stool before fetching a glass of water. Twilight accepted the glass with a soft, "Thank you." Twilight placed the glass against her dry, cracked lips and pulled her head back.

Spike watched Twilight drain an entire glass of water in one fluid motion. "Twilight, what's wrong?" Spike finally managed to asked after Twilight slammed the glass onto the crystal countertop with a tired groan.

"What's wrong?" Twilight asked tiredly, turning her eyes towards Spike. "The world is wrong. The state of medical magic is wrong. Dr. Hoarse and his entire practice is wrong." Twilight voice grew in pitch, almost to the point she became hysterical, "I mean who in their right mind would put a patient's life in jeopardy just to win a bet on if he could go a week without taking a single Vicodin." Twilight slammed her head into the countertop to try and divert the migraine growing behind her eyes. The pain and pressure building in her skull was unbearable. "Freaking druggy!"

Spike winced at Twilight's tone. Twilight continued to grumble to herself. Her incoherent ramblings flittered through the air without any care for Spike's sensitive ears.

With very little alternatives, Spike grabbed his plate and slid it towards Twilight. "Here Twilight," Spike said with as much warmth as he could, "Eat this and get some sleep."

Twilight pealed her forehead away from the once clean countertop, leaving a filthy film of sweat on the surface. Twilight's lost eyes turned to Spike. Slowly, her lips lifted in a shallow smile.

Spike felt some glimmer of hope. Being here for Twilight was the most important thing for the young drake. Twilight slowly lifted the fork with her hoof, taking a bite of the slightly cold eggs.

With Twilight taken care of, Spike turned to the stove to prepare another plate. Spike ignited the stove top, heating the pan before adding his eggs. The uncooked eggs sizzled against the hot metal with a loud hiss.

With his back to her, Twilight's smiled at her Spike. The amount of concern he felt for her warmed her heart. The emptiness she felt better at the sight of Spike. Twilight continued to eat, slowly chewing her food as her eyes drifted around the tidy kitchen. Slowly her eyes focused on the plastic wrapped newspaper.

Twilight's brow furrowed. _What is that?_

Through the crinkled plastic, Twilight could just make out a face. That square jaw, strong brow and flowing two toned mane. _No… It can't be._Twilight's horn shimmered weakly with purple aura as she wrapped her flickering magic around the rolled paper.

Dragging the paper towards her, Twilight dislodged the Canterlot Times from their protective cover. Unfurling the paper before her eyes, Twilight's violet eyes widened in shock at the image of her own brother wearing some of the most advanced armor she had ever seen on the front page. The caption bellow his image read, 'Rise of the Crystal Prince: Shining Armor lives!'

Spike's head snapped away from his food, Twilight's loud gasp startling him. Swiveling around, Spike the dragon watched Twilight trembled on the barstool. Weakly, she held onto the edge of the countertop for support. Shutting of the flame off, Spike moved to Twilight's side. Climbing on the barstool next to her, Spike placed a concerned claw on Twilight's shoulder. "Twilight, what's wrong?"

The look of Twilight's pale face filled Spike's stomach with dread. The very ground beneath her was disappearing, leaving her to fall into fear and uncertainty.

Unable to form any civilized word, Twilight deftly pointed at the newspaper sprawled across the countertop before her. Spike followed Twilight's trembling hoof. Spike peered at the picture with shock.

Spike and Twilight simple sat there, looking at the newspaper with reverence. Spike couldn't move. His mind stalled, taking in every aspect of the picture and its caption. There was just no way this could be real. Twilight had spent the last month with barely any sleep or rest to heal her brother and now he's back. Something was very wrong here. Spike could feel it in his gut.

"Spike?"

Spike turned to Twilight, "Yeah Twilight?"

"Get the girls," Twilight's gruff whisper reached Spike's ears. "We're going to the Crystal Empire."

Spike dumbly nodded before turning tail and flying out the castle's front doors into the streets of Ponyville. Today was going to be a long day for the young dragon.

0 0 0

The morning light filtered through the tall windows of the Crystal Palace. The tall spire sparkled under the Celestia's sun. Through the tranquil hallways, the Crystal Guard marched through the open halls. The only sound accompanying these stoic stallions were the clip clop of hooves.

"Good morning Flash," one of the Crystal Guards said to the orange Pegasus limping his way down the hall.

Flash offered the Guard a smile and a nod. Never would he have thought the morale of the Crystal Ponies would be so high today. Even right now, the main dining hall of the palace was filled with dozens of families happily enjoying a breakfast procured by the caring staff. One thing was on every one of the pony's lips; Shining Armor.

Flash Sentry couldn't help his mind from wondering about what had transpired yesterday. Even now he could barely believe the power Shining Armor displayed. When the might of the entire guard wasn't enough, one pony was able to crush the opposition in a single swoop. Flash continued his way to the dining hall to see if any waffles were left.

Approaching the tall double doors, Flash caught sight of a bright flash of light burst from the underneath the heavy doors. The collective gasps of dozens of ponies caught Flash Sentry by surprise.

With a burst of speed, Flash threw open the doors to the dining hall to come face to face with Princess Celestia.

All around the Princess, ponies bowed low to the ground towards the Sun Goddess. Flash hurriedly threw himself face first into the floor at the sight of Princess Celestia's flowing multi-colored mane.

Princess Celestia offered them a kind smile, "Please rise." All of the crystal ponies and Flash stood. Celestia turned to Flash Sentry. Flash froze as Celestia's eyes focused on him. "Flash Sentry?"

Flash's training took over his movements. With a sharp salute, Flash responded with a curt, "Yes, Princess?"

"Could you escort me to Cadance? I wish to speak to her," Celestia asked calmly.

The orange Pegasus nodded before performing an abrupt about-face and marching out of the dining hall towards Cadance's room. Celestia followed Flash Sentry with a soft, "Thank you."

The pair moved through the halls. Every pony Celestia passed offered her a low bow and friendly smiles. The spirits of the crystal ponies intrigued Celestia. Even after such an attack, the morale of the crystal ponies seemed to be on the incline.

Moving down the hallway, Flash's and Celestia's ears caught the faintest traces of low grumbling echoed down the crystal halls.

Flash Sentry stopped directly in front of the double door. The two Crystal guards standing in front of the door offered Celestia a quick bow. Behind the double doors, Celestia could hear the loud snoring of the two sleeping ponies inside.

Flash turned to Celestia with some hesitation in his eyes. From the sound of the noises inside the room, the two members of royalty would prefer not to be disturbed. With a shaking hoof, Flash gently knocked on the wooden door.

Celestia raised an eyebrow at Flash Sentry's poor excuse for a knock. Flash's face turned a bright red before he smacked the door with his hoof.

**Bang! Bang!**

The hallow sound of Flash's hoof echoed loudly inside the room. Cadance jerked awake as the loud noise assaulted her ears. What?

Cadance's mane stood out in every direction, her gaze moving wearily around the room. The whites of Cadance's eyes were puffy and red. From the corner of Cadance's mouth held the telltale sign of drool that her pillow regretfully had to absorb.

Cadance turned to the pony next to her.

Setsuna's head rested peacefully on the soft satin pillow. With each breath in and out of his lungs, air passed though Setsuna's sinus cavity creating the phenomenon known as snoring. The white unicorn's expression was of absolute bliss.

Cadance chuckled at the sight, _How did I sleep through that?_

The knocking at her door persisted, loud and already pulling on her last nerve. Groaning, Cadance slid out from under her comforter and sheets. "This had better be important," Cadance grumbled under her breath.

Cadance pulled open the door with her magic, covering her eyes from the bright corridor. "Yes?" Cadance strained out her tired mind.

Flash Sentry took a step back at the sight of Cadance's grotesque appearance. Cadance blinked rapidly, trying to force her tired eyes to see the pony in front of her.

"Um… Princess Cadance," Flash said, "Princess Celestia is here to see you."

"She is?!" Cadance spun her head to face her aunt.

In that instant a thousand volts of terror jumpstarted Cadance's brain, effectively sending it into overdrive. "Oh my goodness," Cadance pressed a hoof to her lips. "I'm so sorry, Auntie."

To Celestia's credit, she managed to keep her smile small and not to chuckle at Cadance's destroyed mane. "Hello, Cadance," Celestia offered kindly wrapping one of her forelegs and wings around her niece.

Cadance melted in the embrace. For that single moment of contact, Cadance felt the warm and love of Celestia's heart. Celestia held Cadance against her, offering her every ounce of strength she could in this simple gesture.

When they broke, Celestia's smile faltered, "I received your letter today." Cadance felt the heat rise in her cheeks. "Would you care to show me what you've been up to?"

Cadance looked to the ground, unable to meet the bright eyes of Celestia. Silently, Cadance led Celestia into her room without any objection.

Flash watched the two Princesses enter the dark room. With nothing else to do, Flash stood next to the other two Crystal guard in silence.

Cadance motioned towards the still snoring Setsuna. Celestia slowly approached him, watching him carefully for any sudden movements. Setsuna remained oblivious to the Sun Diarchy's advancing behind his back. What did concern him was that annoying itch.

Celestia froze, holding absolutely still as the thick comforter started shifting. Setsuna's hoof wandered around his foreign body.

Cadance snickered at Celestia's expression. From the position she was stuck in, it appeared as if Celestia had been caught with her hoof in the cookie jar. Her voice louder in the room as Setsuna shifted under the covers mumbling under his breath.

After Setsuna settled into a comfortable position, Celestia moved next to the large bed. Her long horn began to glow with a bright glow. Golden rays of Celestia's magic bathed Setsuna in their radiant light. Cadance watched patiently as Celestia scanned Setsuna from head to tail.

Celestia's brow furrowed, searching for any sign of dark or malignant magic. Through every muscle, organ, tissue and bone Celestia searched for anything that could prove useful in identifying the cloaked figures identify or purpose. Celestia stopped her search. Something was inside Setsuna's chest.

Celestia magic focused on the center of Setsuna's broad barrel. Pushing he scan deeper, Celestia could feel something there. It was solid, almost like an oval crystal had been implanted just under Setsuna's heart. What surprised Celestia the most was the power that radiated from it. Celestia hummed to herself, deep in thought.

Celestia turned to Cadance, "Cadance?"

"Yes?"

"I sense something inside Shining Armor's chest," Celestia explained slowly. "And the article in this morning newspaper said Shining Armor exhibited a strange green particle and wore a unique armor while he was fighting. Could you describe what you saw?"

Cadance took a deep breath before divulging everything she could remember about yesterday and the day before. Celestia listened intently. Her flowing mane continued to flow in the unseen breeze. Cadance felt a weight slowly lift from her chest. It felt like such a relief to confide in Celestia.

When she was finished, Celestia sat remained silent. The only sound between the pair was Setuna's continued snoring and the occasional murmur escaping from his muzzle. "Gundam…"

"Well," Celestia finally broke the awkward silence, trying desperately to think of something. "This is quite the unusual situation."

Cadance nodded in agreement. _Ya think?_

"I do have one idea though," Celestia said slowly. Cadance looked to her aunt with an inquisitive glance. "It may be prying, but I think it would be best if we take a look into this _Shining Armor's_ past."

"How?" Cadance asked. She didn't know any spell that could do that. But then again this is Celestia we're talking about. She's been around the block a few times.

"During sleep, the subconscious remains in an active state allowing the creation of dreams. During dreams the line between fantasy and memory become blurred. Using a spell, I can circumnavigate any dream a pony is experiencing to view the memories held within," Celestia explained. Celestia blushed slightly as she finished, "Luna's better at this than I am, but I should be able to use my magic to enter Shining's head and view some of his memories."

Cadance shifted uncertainly. There was something wrong with idea, but the pony lying unconscious in that bed was still a mystery. Who was he? What was he?

With a heavy heart, Cadance nodded. She had to know who this pony was. Was it Shining Armor or somepony else? "Will he remember this?" Cadance asked. "Remember us looking into his head?"

"He will experience everything we see," Celestia nodded. "To Shining Armor, it will only be a dream." Her horn burst with golden light. The bright light of her magic flowed from Celestia's horn to attach to Setsuna's horn. Cadance waited patiently, watching Celestia's knitted brow. Slowly, Celestia pushed herself into Setsuna's mind. Thankfully, Setsuna mind was pleasantly blank. Celestia pushed deeper into the veil of darkness. All around her mental probe, Celestia felt hundreds of glowing strands flowing softly inside the current of Setsuna's mind. Each one held a single memory. Celestia just had to pick the right one. A single name echoed inside Setsuna head. Setsuna F. Seie., the feminine voice revealed the name of who was occupying Shining Armor's body. Celestia wanted more than just a name. Celestia wanted something with a little more substance, something that would reveal who Setsuna F. Seie was. Celestia felt it. In front of her mental probe was the brightest strand in the flowing current. This was the memory she wanted, a single point in Setsuna's memory that defined him.

Cadance watched with interest as Celestia projected the memory before them. A cloud of gold shimmered over Setsuna's body. Sparks lanced across Celestia's magic. Celestia and Cadance watched the cloud swirl. Slowly, something began to appear.

Before Cadance and Celestia, the image of a worn town stood under the relentless heat of the afternoon sun. The dry desert heat and stark vegetation surrounded the shabby buildings before the two princesses. Streaks of orange plagued the brown and tan bricks of broken homes of Setsuna's home town. Windows were blown out, roofs were collapsed and rubble littered the streets and alleys. Some walls still stood, providing cover for the fighters for the Republic of Krugis. Dark shadows stretched away from setting sun. There was no protection from the searing heat rising from the desert sand reaching as far as the eye could see.

A low voice rolled into the picture, surrounded by radio static as it announced its message. **"This battle is a holy war in the name of God."**

Standing tall in the streets, bulky green and brown mobile suits fought against several humans littering the town. Celestia and Cadance stared in awe at the monstrosities raining death from the large rifles strapped to their right arm. Walking on two legs, these machines were humanoid in appearance but their faces were square and pushed forward. A red light shown from the center of the blank machine's face, the sensor relaying the environment to the pilot deep within its metal body. A secondary turret was placed underneath this pushed out face.

From the crumbling walls, members of the KPSA fired on the advancing mobile suits. The anti-government guerilla forces fires waves of bullets and rockets on the Union's machines. Bullets tore through the brittle brick walls. Even though they were greatly outclassed and outgunned, the members of the KPSA continued to fight in this hellhole of a battlefield.

Cadance and Celestia held a hoof to their mouth. Many of these guerrilla fighters were children. Some were barely five feet tall, wearing tattered clothes and helmets. Each one wore a look of sheer determination. It was the eyes that were haunting. Eyes filled with an anger and rage. These were the eyes of a person prepared to die in the name of their lord.

**"We shall strike down the infidels that disrespect our traditions and lay waste to the land of God."**

The image before both princesses was focused on a single child, barely ten years old. Cadance and Celestia took in the features of young Setsuna. His dark olive skin, jet black hair and striking brown eyes were completely foreign to the two ponies. Every inch of Setsuna was covered in a thin layer of dirt and sweat. Setsuna breathed heavily, clutching the assault rifle tightly to his chest.

**"We must not submit to the infidel."**

Setsuna tore down the alleyway. An opening was coming up on his right. Setsuna fired wildly as his passed. Bullets riddled the tough armor of the mobile suits, sending sparks across the machine's surface. A stray rocket flew past Setsuna, exploding behind him.

"Ah!" Setsuna screamed, flying uncontrollably through the air. Setsuna rolled across the hard ground scrapping his arms and legs.

When he stopped, Setsuna quickly grabbed his rifle before taking shelter behind a thick wall. The hot smooth stone pressed hard against Setsuna's back. Setsuna breathed heavily, trying to catch his breath in the few moments of calm during this battle.

**"By dying in battle, we shall be led into the presence of God."**

Setsuna's eyes scanned the ground in front of him. Setsuna's eyes focused on a cracked porcelain doll with a frilly purple dress. Setsuna's grip tightened around the rifle. Anger filled his mind. So much death. So many of Setsuna's friends were left in the middle of the streets, their blood quenched the dry sand of thirst. "In this world, there is no God," Setsuna growled to himself.

The sound of machine gun fire drew closer to Setsuna. With a start, Setsuna ran away from the wall as several bullets punched foot wide holes through the brown brick. Setsuna ran down the streets at full speed. The man's voice repeated over the radio, **"This battle is a holy war in the name of God. We shall strike down the infidels that disrespect our traditions and lay waste to the land of God."**

"In this world there is no God," Setsuna said to himself, passing piles of bodies. Men and children littered the empty streets alongside their weapons. Scarlet blood flowed freely across the ground. Celestia and Cadance felt sickened at the sight of so much blood and destruction.

Today was the most important day for Setsuna. This was the day Setsuna would find his destiny.

Setsuna took a sudden right, dodging the fire from one of the mobile suits. Setsuna crouched low behind a partially remaining wall. Setsuna's eyes became glued on the machine in front of him. One of the Union machines looked down at him, its turret turning to face the child soldier below him. Setsuna grimaced, preparing for his inevitable death.

Then, a miracle happened.

From high above a bright bolt of energy tore through the machine's head. Surprised, Setsuna rose from his crouched position to catch sight of several more pink energy beams tear through the remaining machines. All of the UN's forces toppled to the ground. Holes of melted metal littered their bodies.

Dumbfounded, Setsuna turned to face his savior. Hovering high above the child, Setsuna's eyes widened in sheer awe. Bright particles flowed from the back of the humanoid machine standing tall above the battle field. With white limbs and a blocky blue torso, O Gundam held in one hand a plasma rifle and a bright red shield in its left.

Setsuna could not take his eyes away from the Gundam. GN particles flowed from each side of O Gundam, appearing as if it had luminescent green wings. This was Setsuna's future, to become a Gundam.

Celestia let the magic slip. The image before her dissipated into nothingness. Cadance stared blankly back at her aunt. There were so many things going through their minds. They could not comprehend what they had just seen. The blood spilt and the machines used were unlike anything Equestria had experienced before. Yes, Equestria had been forced to face many dangers and lives were lost in the inevitability of war. But this single memory was unlike anything Cadance had ever experienced. The child in that memory now occupied Shining Armor's body. That child raised in a cruel world was here.

But he wasn't evil. That's what concerned them more. How could somepony grow up in that kind of environment and not be twisted or corrupted?

0 0 0

Twilight stood in front of her friends with her castle at her back. Spike stood close to Twilight's side. Applejack was the only one that appeared to be awake at this moment. Her orange coat and long blond mane bound by her usual hair bands were in perfect order, complementing the Stetson she wore on her head. Applejack's green eyes watched Twilight with a worried look.

Rarity's usually lustrous curly purple mane seemed less shiny this morning. The Prima Dona rubbed her tired eyes absentmindedly.

Rainbow Dash was halfway to becoming fully conscious. Her eyes were lidded, revealing only a small fraction of her magenta eyes. Rainbow Dash's multicolored mane was still as shaggy as always.

Pinkie Pie sat silently on the ground, which was surprisingly odd for the hyperactive pink pony with the bouncing mane. Pinkie Pie muttered a happy hello while she drank from a cup of steaming hot cocoa. One would question why a pony was drinking hot cocoa in the middle of July, but Twilight learned not to question Pinkie.

Fluttershy remained quiet for Twilight's entire narration. The only sound Twilight could hear from the yellow Pegasus was the occasional movement of her hoof as she brushed her long pink mane from her eyes.

"That's the basic story," Twilight finished.

Applejack raised a hoof. "Yes, Applejack?"

"So what yur saying is that we have to visit yur brother all the way in the Crystal Empire after he just miraculously got better after betting two of his legs blown off?" Applejack asked with some concern.

"Yes," Twilight nodded her head. The look on her face was one of determination. She would find out what happened to her brother.

The rest of the Mane 6 nodded, some still half asleep, in acknowledgement. Rainbow Dash asked, yawning widely, "How are we going to get there? The train?"

"No," Twilight answered. "I've been studying long range teleportation spells so we'll try out my new spell."

This statement woke all of the ponies up real fast. The last time Twilight tried a new spell wasn't a very happy memory.

"Um, Twilight dear," Rarity asked, forcing a calm demeanor in her voice. "Would this happen to be anything like the time you tried the inter-dimensional window spell?"

"No."

"Are you sure?" Pinkie Pie asked, her usual smile was strained. The images of a giant monster with an octopus face, long dangling limbs and a tiny little bat wings protruding from its back. The black leathery wings stood in contrast to the monster's slimy green skin.

"T-that was not entirely my fault," Twilight stuttered. Heat began to build in her cheeks as the memory played through her head.

Spike eyed Twilight indignantly, "You were lucky Pinkie Pie was able to calm Cthulu down."

"Who knew giant octopus head liked cake?" Rainbow Dash rubbed her head still trying to make sense of Cthulu's fascination with white marble cake and pink frosting.

"But I know this will work," Twilight stood firm, stomping her hoof against the crisp stalks of grass.

Seeing the fire in Twilight's eyes, all of her friends knew she would leave no matter what. The five mares and Spike circled around Twilight. If Twilight was going to do something reckless, it'd be best if all of her friends were there to help.

"Thanks girls-"

***Cough*Cough***

"And Spike," Twilight quickly remedied her speech. "I'll need everypony to hold hooves. This spell will require me to draw from all of our energy to fuel it." Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack and Spike followed her instructions without hesitation. When all of their hooves and claws were connected, everyone present looked to Twilight expectantly. "Now I just need to concentration."

Twilight closed her eyes, diving deep into her mind for her magic. Like a rushing river, Twilight dove straight into the current of power. All of the ponies and dragon were forced to close their eyes. The glow in Twilight's horn started as a dim glow before quickly turning into a miniature sun. Bright violet light burned violently, casting deep shadows against the tall castle walls and windows. A wild wind blew through the calm streets and between homes. Air pushed out from the circle of friends, sending tufts of grass and dirt in every direction.

Inside Twilight's head, she focused on what she wanted. She focused on the image of her brother. His wide goofy smile, the way he read stories to her at night. The memories of them playing together in the back yard as their parents looked on from the porch.

Then, like a whisper on the wind, the wind went silent. The violet light disappeared along with Twilight, Spike and the rest of their friends.

0 0 0

Celestia and Cadance grimaced, their hooves shooting up to cover their eyes when a bright purple light filled the room. Several voices screamed loudly as the Mane 6 and Spike materialized over Cadance's bed. Celestia could just make out the sound of several bodies colliding with a springy surface.

When the light faded, Cadance and Celestia beheld a very peculiar image. A mass of multi-colored limbs covered the large bed, twitching and groaning in pain.

Twilight hissed loudly. Her back had painfully collided with some kind of sturdy object. Her head felt like it was splitting in half from the base of her horn to the back of her skull. Twilight's skin felt burning hot, yet her insides were as cold as ice. _I guess this is what a TV dinner feels like._ Twilight pushed up, her hooves digging into the bedding and something squishy.

"Good going egghead," Rainbow Dash grumbled with her eyes closed. Her head pounded and the world spun whenever she opened her eyes.

"Whooooo!" The words garbled out of Pinkie Pie's wide open muzzle. Strange spirals occupied where her eyes should have been. "Let's go again! Let's go again!"

"Twilight?" Cadance asked in pure disbelief. A sickening black hole filled Cadance's stomach. What am I going to say to her?

Twilight turned to face Cadance, a worn smile crossed her muzzle. "Hi Cadance." Twilight tried to extract herself from the pile, but too many bodies were weighing down her lower extremities.

"Um, Twilight?" Celestia asked concern in her voice evident.

"Pr-Princess Celestia," Twilight gasped in surprise. Twilight redoubled her efforts on getting free, but only ended up creating an orchestra of complaints from her friends.

Celestia ignited her horn before she lifted the six ponies and dragon off the bed and deposited them safely onto the cold ground. Celestia waited patiently while the Mane 6 untangled themselves. Cadance shifted uneasily, continually shifting her gaze from Twilight to Celestia.

After several minutes of cursing, Twilight and her friends were finally able to break free. Standing in front of the two princesses, Twilight turned to Cadance. The strain was evident in her voice, "Cadance?" Cadance felt her heart stop. She knew it was coming, the question that Cadance feared to answer. The level of concern was so great, Cadance didn't even remember to do the rhyme and dance with Twilight. The dance she always loved to do with the small purple foal Cadance use to foalsit. "What's going on? Where's Shiny? Why was he wearing that armor? Where did he get that armor? How did he grow back his legs? What have you been doing? Why's Princess Celestia here?" Twilight fired off questions left and right. The speed at which she spoke was so rapid, Pinkie Pie was impressed.

"Whoa."

"What?" Cadance asked, unable to process Twilight's words.

"What's going on?"

Before Cadance or Celestia could answer, a new voice entered the conversation. This one was angry and distinctly male, "I'd like to know that too."

Cadance felt a cold chill run up her spine. That familiar voice struck a chord into ever heart like a cold knife. Slowly, very slowly, all eyes turned to face the conscious pony standing on the bed.

Twilight turned to look directly at Setsuna. The familiar features of Shining Armor were pulled back into a scowl that would strike fear into the hardest of ponies. His eyes were worse. Those warped irises of bright blue melting into dark amber captivated her. There was anger in those eyes, a deep rooted anger that could only exist from a pony that had experienced many hardships in his life. Setsuna's eyes were haunting and his voice hard.

Every inch of Setsuna's muscles burned and his bones ached. But after being crushed, Setsuna was fully awake and wanted answers. Setsuna didn't understand why he was standing on all fours. His back and limbs felt like this posture was natural. Setsuna main focus was the group in front of him. Those large heads and colorful nature were too foreign for him to understand why they were like that. They're some kind of horse. _But the wings and horns? How does that happen?_ He looked at the purple unicorn… Pegasus… thing with a suspicious eye. Emotions played across the purple equine face. Sadness, despair, fear and so many others filled those wide eyes.

"Big Brother," Twilight whispered in a hushed voice.

Then Setsuna spoke again. His words cut worse than any sword or steel blade could to both Twilight and Cadance.

"Just who the hell are you people?"


End file.
